Judgment Against Israel

5 “Hear this, you priests!

Pay attention, you Israelites!

Listen, royal house!

This judgments is against you:

You have been a snaret at Mizpah,

a netu spread out on Tabor.

2 The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.v

I will discipline all of them.w

3 I know all about Ephraim;

Israel is not hiddenx from me.

Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;

Israel is corrupt.y

4 “Their deeds do not permit them

to returnz to their God.

A spirit of prostitutiona is in their heart;

they do not acknowledgeb the Lord.

5 Israel’s arrogance testifiesc against them;

the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumbled in their sin;

Judah also stumbles with them.e

6 When they go with their flocks and herds

to seek the Lord,f

they will not find him;

he has withdrawng himself from them.

7 They are unfaithfulh to the Lord;

they give birth to illegitimatei children.

When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,j

he will devoura k their fields.

8 “Sound the trumpetl in Gibeah,m

the horn in Ramah.n

Raise the battle cry in Beth Avenb;o

lead on, Benjamin.

9 Ephraim will be laid wastep

on the day of reckoning.q

Among the tribes of Israel

I proclaim what is certain.r

10 Judah’s leaders are like those

who move boundary stones.s

I will pour out my wratht on them

like a flood of water.

11 Ephraim is oppressed,

trampled in judgment,

intent on pursuing idols.c u

12 I am like a mothv to Ephraim,

like rotw to the people of Judah.

13 “When Ephraimx saw his sickness,

and Judah his sores,

then Ephraim turned to Assyria,y

and sent to the great king for help.z

But he is not able to curea you,

not able to heal your sores.b

14 For I will be like a lionc to Ephraim,

like a great lion to Judah.

I will tear them to piecesd and go away;

I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.e

15 Then I will return to my lairf

until they have borne their guiltg

and seek my faceh—

in their miseryi

they will earnestly seek me.j”