Hosea 5-8

New International Version

Judgment Against Israel

5 “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.
²The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.^(D)
    I will discipline all of them.^(E)
³I know all about Ephraim;
    Israel is not hidden^(F) from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
    Israel is corrupt.^(G)

⁴“Their deeds do not permit them
    to return^(H) to their God.
A spirit of prostitution^(I) is in their heart;
    they do not acknowledge^(J) the Lord.
⁵Israel’s arrogance testifies^(K) against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble^(L) in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.^(M)
⁶When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,^(N)
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn^(O) himself from them.
⁷They are unfaithful^(P) to the Lord;
    they give birth to illegitimate^(Q) children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,^(R)
    he will devour^[a]^(S) their fields.

⁸“Sound the trumpet^(T) in Gibeah,^(U)
    the horn in Ramah.^(V)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven^[b];^(W)
    lead on, Benjamin.
⁹Ephraim will be laid waste^(X)
    on the day of reckoning.^(Y)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.^(Z)
¹⁰Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.^(AA)
I will pour out my wrath^(AB) on them
    like a flood of water.
¹¹Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.^[c]^(AC)
¹²I am like a moth^(AD) to Ephraim,
    like rot^(AE) to the people of Judah.

¹³“When Ephraim^(AF) saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,^(AG)
    and sent to the great king for help.^(AH)
But he is not able to cure^(AI) you,
    not able to heal your sores.^(AJ)
¹⁴For I will be like a lion^(AK) to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces^(AL) and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.^(AM)
¹⁵Then I will return to my lair^(AN)
    until they have borne their guilt^(AO)
    and seek my face^(AP)—
in their misery^(AQ)
    they will earnestly seek me.^(AR)”

Israel Unrepentant

6 “Come, let us return^(AS) to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces^(AT)
    but he will heal us;^(AU)
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.^(AV)
²After two days he will revive us;^(AW)
    on the third day^(AX) he will restore^(AY) us,
    that we may live in his presence.
³Let 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,^(AZ)
    like the spring rains that water the earth.^(BA)”

⁴“What can I do with you, Ephraim?^(BB)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.^(BC)
⁵Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth^(BD)—
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.^[d]^(BE)
⁶For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(BF)
    and acknowledgment^(BG) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(BH)
⁷As at Adam,^[e] they have broken the covenant;^(BI)
    they were unfaithful^(BJ) to me there.
⁸Gilead is a city of evildoers,^(BK)
    stained with footprints of blood.
⁹As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^(BL)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder^(BM) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.^(BN)
¹⁰I have seen a horrible^(BO) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.^(BP)

¹¹“Also for you, Judah,
a harvest^(BQ) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^(BR) of my people,

7 ¹whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
    and the crimes of Samaria revealed.^(BS)
They practice deceit,^(BT)
    thieves break into houses,^(BU)
    bandits rob in the streets;^(BV)
²but they do not realize
    that I remember^(BW) all their evil deeds.^(BX)
Their sins engulf them;^(BY)
    they are always before me.

³“They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.^(BZ)
⁴They are all adulterers,^(CA)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
⁵On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,^(CB)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.^(CC)
⁶Their hearts are like an oven;^(CD)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
⁷All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,^(CE)
    and none of them calls^(CF) on me.

⁸“Ephraim mixes^(CG) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
⁹Foreigners sap his strength,^(CH)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
¹⁰Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,^(CI)
    but despite all this
he does not return^(CJ) to the Lord his God
    or search^(CK) for him.

¹¹“Ephraim is like a dove,^(CL)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,^(CM)
    now turning to Assyria.^(CN)
¹²When they go, I will throw my net^(CO) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
¹³Woe^(CP) to them,
    because they have strayed^(CQ) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me^(CR) falsely.^(CS)
¹⁴They do not cry out to me from their hearts^(CT)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,^[f] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,^(CU)
    but they turn away from me.^(CV)
¹⁵I trained^(CW) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil^(CX) against me.
¹⁶They do not turn to the Most High;^(CY)
    they are like a faulty bow.^(CZ)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent^(DA) words.
For this they will be ridiculed^(DB)
    in the land of Egypt.^(DC)

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

8 “Put the trumpet^(DD) to your lips!
    An eagle^(DE) is over the house of the Lord
because the people have broken my covenant^(DF)
    and rebelled against my law.^(DG)
²Israel cries out to me,
    ‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’
³But Israel has rejected what is good;
    an enemy will pursue him.^(DH)
⁴They set up kings without my consent;
    they choose princes without my approval.^(DI)
With their silver and gold
    they make idols^(DJ) for themselves
    to their own destruction.
⁵Samaria, throw out your calf-idol!^(DK)
    My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity?^(DL)
⁶    They are from Israel!
This calf—a metalworker has made it;
    it is not God.^(DM)
It will be broken in pieces,
    that calf^(DN) of Samaria.^(DO)

⁷“They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.^(DP)
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.^(DQ)
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.^(DR)
⁸Israel is swallowed up;^(DS)
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.^(DT)
⁹For they have gone up to Assyria^(DU)
    like a wild donkey^(DV) wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.^(DW)
¹⁰Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.^(DX)
They will begin to waste away^(DY)
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

¹¹“Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
    these have become altars for sinning.^(DZ)
¹²I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.^(EA)
¹³Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me,
    and though they eat^(EB) the meat,
    the Lord is not pleased with them.^(EC)
Now he will remember^(ED) their wickedness
    and punish their sins:^(EE)
    They will return to Egypt.^(EF)
¹⁴Israel has forgotten^(EG) their Maker^(EH)
    and built palaces;
    Judah has fortified many towns.
But I will send fire on their cities
    that will consume their fortresses.”^(EI)

Footnotes

Hosea 5:7 Or Now their New Moon feasts / will devour them and
Hosea 5:8 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
Hosea 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Hosea 6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
Hosea 6:7 Or Like Adam; or Like human beings
Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together

Revelation 17

New International Version

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels^(A) who had the seven bowls^(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment^(C) of the great prostitute,^(D) who sits by many waters.^(E) ²With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^(F)

³Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit^(G) into a wilderness.^(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet^(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names^(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.^(K) ⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.^(L) She held a golden cup^(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.^(N) ⁵The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^(O)

babylon the great^(P)

the mother of prostitutes^(Q)

and of the abominations of the earth.

⁶I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,^(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^(T) ⁸The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^(U) and go to its destruction.^(V) The inhabitants of the earth^(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life^(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished^(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹“This calls for a mind with wisdom.^(Z) The seven heads^(AA) are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹The beast who once was, and now is not,^(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹²“The ten horns^(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour^(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.^(AE) ¹⁴They will wage war^(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen^(AI) and faithful followers.”

¹⁵Then the angel said to me, “The waters^(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.^(AK) ¹⁶The beast and the ten horns^(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.^(AM) They will bring her to ruin^(AN) and leave her naked;^(AO) they will eat her flesh^(AP) and burn her with fire.^(AQ) ¹⁷For God has put it into their hearts^(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,^(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.^(AT) ¹⁸The woman you saw is the great city^(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”