Hosea 5

1 Give ear to this, O priests; give attention, O Israel, and you, family of the king; for you are to be judged; you have been a deceit at Mizpah and a net stretched out on Tabor.

Hear these things, you priests; and attend, O house of Israel; and listen, O house of the king; for the controversy is with you, because you have been a snare in Scopia, and as a net spread on Itabyrium,

2 They have gone deep in the evil ways of Shittim, but I am the judge of all.

which they that hunt the prey have fixed: but I will correct you.

3 I have knowledge of Ephraim, and Israel is not secret from me; for now, O Ephraim, you have been false to me, Israel has become unclean.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not far from me: for now Ephraim has gone grievously a-whoring, Israel is defiled.

4 Their works will not let them come back to their God, for a false spirit is in them and they have no knowledge of the Lord.

They have not framed their counsels to return to their God, for the spirit of fornication is in them, and they have not known the Lord.

5 And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; and Ephraim will have a fall through his sins, and the fall of Judah will be the same as theirs.

And the pride of Israel shall be brought low before his face; and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquities; and Judas also shall fall with them.

6 They will go, with their flocks and their herds, in search of the Lord, but they will not see him; he has taken himself out of their view.

They shall go with sheep and calves diligently to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him, for he has withdrawn himself from them.

7 They have been false to the Lord; they have given birth to strange children; now the new moon will make them waste with their fields.

For they have forsaken the Lord; for strange children have been born to them: now shall the cankerworm devour them and their heritages.

8 Let the horn be sounded in Gibeah and in Ramah; give a loud cry in Beth-aven, They are after you, O Benjamin.

Blow you the trumpet on the hills, sound aloud on the heights: proclaim in the house of On, Benjamin is amazed.

9 Ephraim will become a waste in the day of punishment; I have given knowledge among the tribes of Israel of what is certain.

Ephraim has come to nothing in the days of reproof: in the tribes of Israel I have shown faithful [dealings].

10 The rulers of Judah are like those who take away a landmark; I will let loose my wrath on them like flowing water.

The princes of Juda became as they that removed the bounds: I will pour out upon them my fury as water.

11 Ephraim is troubled; he is crushed by his judges, because he took pleasure in walking after deceit.

Ephraim altogether prevailed against his adversary, he trod judgment under foot, for he began to go after vanities.

12 And so to Ephraim I am like a wasting insect, and a destruction to the children of Judah.

Therefore I [will be] as consternation to Ephraim, and as a goad to the house of Juda.

13 When Ephraim saw his disease and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to the great king; but he is not able to make you well or give you help for your wound.

And Ephraim saw his disease, and Judas his pain; then Ephraim went to the Assyrians, and sent ambassadors to king Jarim: but he could not heal you, and your pain shall in nowise cease from you.

14 For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the children of Judah; I, even I, will give him wounds and go away; I will take him away, and there will be no helper.

Therefore I am as a panther to Ephraim, and as a lion to the house of Juda: and I will tear, and go away; and I will take, and there shall be none to deliver.

15 I will go back to my place till they are made waste; in their trouble they will go after me early and will make search for me.

I will go and return to my place, until they are brought to nothing, and [then] shall they seek my face.