Hosea 5

1 Hear ye this, O priests, and hearken, O ye house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king: for there is a judgment against you, because you have been a snare to them whom you should have watched over, and a net spread upon Thabor.

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.

2 And you have turned aside victims into the depth: and I am, the teacher of them all.

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

3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now Ephraim hath committed fornication, Israel is defiled.

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.

4 They will not set their thoughts to return to their God: for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

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.

5 And the pride of Israel shall answer in his face: and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity, Juda also shall fall with them.

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.

6 With their flocks, and with their herds, they shall go to seek the Lord, and shall not find him: he is withdrawn from them.

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.

7 They have transgressed against the Lord, for they have begotten children that are strangers: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

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.

8 Blow ye the cornet in Gabaa, the trumpet in Rama: howl ye in Bethaven, behind thy back, O Benjamin.

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

9 Ephraim shall be in desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel I have shewn that which shall surely be.

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

10 The princes of Juda are become as they that take up the bound: I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

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

11 Ephraim is under oppression, and broken in judgment: because he began to go after filthiness.

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

12 And I will be like a moth to Ephraim: and like rottenness to the house of Juda.

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

13 And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Juda his band: and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to the avenging king: and he shall not be able to heal you, neither shall he be able to take off the band from you.

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.

14 For I will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion’s whelp to the house of Juda: I, I will catch, and go: I will take away, and there is none that can rescue.

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.

15 I will go and return to my place: until you are consumed, and seek my face.

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.