Hosea 5

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he has withdrawn^o himself from them.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”