Hosea 5–6

Judgment Against Israel

“Hear this, you priests!

Pay attention, you Israelites!

Listen, royal house!

This judgment^a is against you:

You have been a snare^b at Mizpah,

a net^c spread out on Tabor.

The rebels are deep in slaughter.^d

I will discipline all of them.^e

I know all about Ephraim;

Israel is not hidden^f from me.

Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;

Israel is corrupt.^g

“Their deeds do not permit them

to return^h to their God.

A spirit of prostitutionⁱ is in their heart;

they do not acknowledge^j the Lord.

Israel’s arrogance testifies^k against them;

the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble^l in their sin;

Judah also stumbles with them.^m

When they go with their flocks and herds

to seek the Lord,ⁿ

they will not find him;

he has withdrawn^o himself from them.

They are unfaithful^p to the Lord;

they give birth to illegitimate^q children.

When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,^r

he will devour^s their fields.

“Sound the trumpet^t in Gibeah,^u

the horn in Ramah.^v

Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven;^w

lead on, Benjamin.

Ephraim will be laid waste^x

on the day of reckoning.^y

Among the tribes of Israel

I proclaim what is certain.^z

Judah’s leaders are like those

who move boundary stones.^a

I will pour out my wrath^b on them

like a flood of water.

Ephraim is oppressed,

trampled in judgment,

intent on pursuing idols.^c

I am like a moth^d to Ephraim,

like rot^e to the people of Judah.

“When Ephraim^f saw his sickness,

and Judah his sores,

then Ephraim turned to Assyria,^g

and sent to the great king for help.^h

But he is not able to cureⁱ you,

not able to heal your sores.^j

For I will be like a lion^k to Ephraim,

like a great lion to Judah.

I will tear them to pieces^l and go away;

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

Then I will return to my lairⁿ

until they have borne their guilt^o

and seek my face^p—

in their misery^q

they will earnestly seek me.^r”

Israel Unrepentant

“Come, let us return^a to the Lord.

He has torn us to pieces^b

but he will heal us;^c

he has injured us

but he will bind up our wounds.^d

After two days he will revive us;^e

on the third day^f he will restore^g us,

that we may live in his presence.

Let us acknowledge the Lord;

let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises,

he will appear;

he will come to us like the winter rains,^h

like the spring rains that water the earth.ⁱ”

“What can I do with you, Ephraim?^j

What can I do with you, Judah?

Your love is like the morning mist,

like the early dew that disappears.^k

Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,

I killed you with the words of my mouth^l—

then my judgments go forth like the sun.^m

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,ⁿ

and acknowledgment^o of God rather than burnt offerings.^p

As at Adam, they have broken the covenant;^q

they were unfaithful^r to me there.

Gilead is a city of wicked people,^s

stained with footprints of blood.

As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^t

so do bands of priests;

they murder^u on the road to Shechem,

carrying out their wicked schemes.^v

I have seen a horrible^w thing

in the house of Israel.

There Ephraim is given to prostitution

and Israel is defiled.^x

“Also for you, Judah,

a harvest^y is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^z of my people,