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God’s Word Against the Leaders

“·Listen [Hear this], you priests.
    Pay attention, ·people [L house] of Israel.
Listen, ·royal family [L house of the king],
    because you will all be judged.
You have been like a ·trap [snare] at Mizpah
    and like a net spread out at Mount Tabor [C hunting places in Israel].
·You have done many evil things [L The rebels are deep into slaughter; or You have dug a deep pit at Shittim/Acacia],
    so I will ·punish [discipline] you all.
I know all about Ephraim [C Israel; 4:17];
    what Israel has done is not hidden from me.
Now Ephraim acts like a prostitute,
    and Israel has ·made itself unclean [L defiled himself].

“·They will not give up their deeds
    and [or Their deeds won’t let them] return to their God.
·They are determined to be unfaithful to me [L For a spirit of prostitution is within them];
    they do not know the Lord.
Israel’s ·pride [arrogance] testifies against them.
    ·The people of Israel [L Israel and Ephraim; 4:17] will stumble because of their ·sin [iniquity],
    and ·the people of Judah [L Judah] will stumble with them.
They will come to ·worship [L seek] the Lord,
    bringing their flocks and herds,
but they will not be able to find him,
    because he has ·left [withdrawn from] them.
They have ·not been true to [been unfaithful to; dealt treacherously with] the Lord;
    they ·are children who do not belong to him [or bear illegitimate/alien children].
So ·their false worship [L a new moon; C a festival]
    will ·destroy [L devour] them and their ·land [wealth; portion].

“Blow the ·horn [trumpet; ram’s horn] in Gibeah
    and the trumpet in Ramah [C used to sound a warning or call to battle].
·Give the warning [Sound the alarm; Raise the battle cry] at Beth Aven [4:15],
    ·and be first into battle [or lead on; or we are with you], ·people of Benjamin [L Benjamin].
·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] will be ·ruined [laid waste; desolate]
    on the day of ·punishment [rebuke; reckoning].
To the tribes of Israel
    I ·tell the truth [L make known what is certain].
10 The ·leaders [princes] of Judah are like those
    who ·steal other people’s land [L move boundary markers; C a serious crime in the ancient world; Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Prov. 15:25].
I will pour my ·punishment over [wrath on] them
    like ·a flood of water [L water].
11 ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] is ·beaten down [oppressed] and crushed by the ·punishment [judgment],
    because it ·decided [was determined] to follow ·idols [or worthless things; or human precepts].
12 I am like a moth to ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17],
    like ·a rot [wood rot; decay] to the ·people [L house] of Judah.

13 “When ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] saw its illness
    and Judah saw its ·wounds [or sores],
·Israel [L Ephraim] went to Assyria for help
    and sent to the great ·king of Assyria [L king].
But he cannot heal you
    or cure your wounds.
14 I will be like a lion to ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17],
    like a young lion to ·Judah [L the house of Judah].
·I will attack them
    and tear them to pieces [L I, even I, will tear them and go away].
I will drag them off,
    and no one will be able to ·save [rescue] them.
15 Then I will go back to my ·place [lair; dwelling place]
    until they ·suffer for [or admit] their guilt and ·turn back to me [L seek my face].
In their ·trouble [distress; affliction] they will look for me.”

The People’s Apostasy Rebuked

Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, house of Israel!
Listen, you of the house of the king!
For the judgment applies to you,
Because you have been a (A)trap at Mizpah,
And a net spread out on Tabor.
And the (B)rebels have (C)gone deep in [a]depravity,
But I will discipline all of them.
I (D)know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me;
Because now, Ephraim, you have been unfaithful,
Israel has defiled itself.
Their deeds will not allow them
To return to their God.
For a (E)spirit of [b]infidelity is within them,
And they (F)do not know the Lord.
Moreover, the (G)pride of Israel testifies against him,
And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their wrongdoing;
(H)Judah also has stumbled with them.
They will (I)go with their flocks and herds
To seek the Lord, but they will (J)not find Him;
He has (K)withdrawn from them.
They have (L)dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have given birth to [c](M)illegitimate children.
Now the (N)new moon will devour them with their [d]land.

(O)Blow the horn in (P)Gibeah,
And the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:
(Q)Behind you, Benjamin!”
Ephraim will become a (R)desolation in the (S)day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I (T)make known what is trustworthy.
10 The leaders of Judah have become like those who (U)displace a boundary marker;
On them I will (V)pour out My anger (W)like water.
11 Ephraim is (X)oppressed, broken by judgment,
(Y)Because he was determined to follow [e]man’s command.
12 Therefore I am like a (Z)moth to Ephraim,
And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his [f]sore,
Ephraim then went to (AA)Assyria
And sent word to [g](AB)King Jareb.
But he is (AC)unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your [h]sore.
14 For I will be (AD)like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(AE)I, yes I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be (AF)no one to rescue.
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they [i](AG)acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their distress they will (AH)search for Me.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 5:2 Or slaughter
  2. Hosea 5:4 Or prostitution
  3. Hosea 5:7 Lit strange
  4. Hosea 5:7 Lit portions
  5. Hosea 5:11 Or with some ancient versions, nothingness
  6. Hosea 5:13 Or ulcer
  7. Hosea 5:13 Or another reading is the great king; or the contentious king
  8. Hosea 5:13 Or ulcer
  9. Hosea 5:15 Or suffer their punishment