Hosea 5

5 Hear this, priests!a

Pay attention, house of Israel!

Listen, royal house!

For the judgment applies to you

because you have been a snare at Mizpahb

and a net spread out on Tabor.

2 Rebelsc are deeply involved in slaughter;d

I will be a punishment for all of them.C

3 I know Ephraim,e

and Israel is not hidden from me.

For now, Ephraim,f

you have acted promiscuously;

Israel is defiled.

4 Their actions do not allow them

to return to their God,g

for a spirit of promiscuity is among them,h

and they do not know the Lord.i

5 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them.E,j

Both Israel and Ephraim stumble

because of their iniquity;k

even Judah will stumble with them.l

6 They go with their flocks and herds

to seek the Lordm

but do not find him;n

he has withdrawn from them.o

7 They betrayed the Lord;p

indeed, they gave birth to illegitimate children.q

Now the New Moonr will devour them

along with their fields.s

8 Blow the trumpet in Gibeah,t

the trumpet in Ramah;u

raise the war cry in Beth-aven:v

Look behind you,F Benjamin!w

9 Ephraim will become a desolationx

on the day of punishment;y

I announce what is certain

among the tribes of Israel.z

10 The princes of Judah are like those

who move boundary markers;aa

I will pour out my furyab on them like water.ac

11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,ad

for he is determined to follow what is worthless.A

12 So I am like rot to Ephraimae

and like decay to the house of Judah.

13 When Ephraim saw his sickness

and Judah his wound,

Ephraim went to Assyriaaf

and sent a delegation to the great king.B,ag

But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.ah

14 For I am like a lion to Ephraimai

and like a young lion to the house of Judah.

Yes, I will tear them to pieces and depart.aj

I will carry them off,

and no one can rescue them.ak

15 I will depart and return to my place

until they recognize their guilt and seek my face;al

they will search for me in their distress.am