Hosea 5–6

5Hear this, priests! ^a

Pay attention, house of Israel!

Listen, royal house!

For the judgment applies to you

because you have been a snare at Mizpah ^b

and a net spread out on Tabor.

²Rebels ^care deeply involved in slaughter; ^d

I will be a punishment for all of them. ^e

³I know Ephraim, ^f

and Israel is not hidden from Me.

For now, Ephraim, ^g

you have acted promiscuously;

Israel is defiled.

⁴Their actions do not allow them

to return to their God, ^h

for a spirit of promiscuity is among them, ⁱ

and they do not know the Lord. ^j

⁵Israel’s arrogance testifies against them. ^kl

Both Israel and Ephraim stumble

because of their wickedness; ^m

even Judah will stumble with them. ⁿ

⁶They go with their flocks and herds

to seek the Lord ^o

but do not find Him; ^p

He has withdrawn from them. ^q

⁷They betrayed the Lord; ^r

indeed, they gave birth to illegitimate children. ^s

Now the New Moon ^twill devour them

along with their fields. ^u

⁸Blow the horn in Gibeah, ^v

the trumpet in Ramah; ^w

raise the war cry in Beth-aven: ^x

After you, Benjamin! ^y

⁹Ephraim will become a desolation ^z

on the day of punishment; ^a

I announce what is certain

among the tribes of Israel. ^b

¹⁰The princes of Judah are like those

who move boundary markers; ^c

I will pour out My fury ^don them like water. ^e

¹¹Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, ^f

for he is determined to follow what is worthless. ^g

¹²So I am like rot to Ephraim ^h

and like decay to the house of Judah.

¹³When Ephraim saw his sickness

and Judah his wound,

Ephraim went to Assyria ⁱ

and sent a delegation to the great king. ^jk

But he cannot cure you or heal your wound. ^l

¹⁴For I am like a lion to Ephraim ^m

and like a young lion to the house of Judah.

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

I will carry them off,

and no one can rescue them. ^o

¹⁵I will depart and return to My place

until they recognize their guilt and seek My face; ^p

they will search for Me in their distress. ^q

A Call to Repentance

6Come, let us return to the Lord. ^r

For He has torn us, ^s

and He will heal us; ^t

He has wounded us,

and He will bind up our wounds. ^u

²He will revive us after two days, ^v

and on the third day He will raise us up

so we can live in His presence. ^w

³Let us strive to know the Lord. ^x

His appearance is as sure as the dawn. ^y

He will come to us like the rain, ^z

like the spring showers that water the land.

The Lord’s First Lament

⁴What am I going to do with you, Ephraim? ^a

What am I going to do with you, Judah?

Your loyalty is like the morning mist ^b

and like the early dew that vanishes.

⁵This is why I have used the prophets

to cut them down; ^cd

I have killed them with the words of My mouth.

My judgment strikes like lightning. ^e

⁶For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God ^frather than burnt offerings. ^g

⁷But they, like Adam, ^hhave violated the covenant; ⁱ

there they have betrayed Me. ^j

⁸Gilead is a city of evildoers, ^k

tracked with bloody footprints. ^l

⁹Like raiders who wait in ambush for someone, ^m

a band of priests murders on the road to Shechem. ⁿ

They commit atrocities. ^o

¹⁰I have seen something horrible ^pin the house of Israel:

Ephraim’s promiscuity is there; ^qIsrael is defiled.

¹¹A harvest is also appointed for you, Judah. ^r

When I ^sreturn My people from captivity, ^t