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Hosea 5
New Living Translation
Hosea 5
New Living Translation
The Failure of Israel’s Leaders
5 “Hear this, you priests.
Pay attention, you leaders of Israel.
Listen, you members of the royal family.
Judgment has been handed down against you.
For you have led the people into a snare
by worshiping the idols at Mizpah and Tabor.
2 You have dug a deep pit to trap them at Acacia Grove.[a]
But I will settle with you for what you have done.
3 I know what you are like, O Ephraim.
You cannot hide yourself from me, O Israel.
You have left me as a prostitute leaves her husband;
you are utterly defiled.
4 Your deeds won’t let you return to your God.
You are a prostitute through and through,
and you do not know the Lord.
5 “The arrogance of Israel testifies against her;
Israel and Ephraim will stumble under their load of guilt.
Judah, too, will fall with them.
6 When they come with their flocks and herds
to offer sacrifices to the Lord,
they will not find him,
because he has withdrawn from them.
7 They have betrayed the honor of the Lord,
bearing children that are not his.
Now their false religion will devour them
along with their wealth.[b]
8 “Sound the alarm in Gibeah!
Blow the trumpet in Ramah!
Raise the battle cry in Beth-aven[c]!
Lead on into battle, O warriors of Benjamin!
9 One thing is certain, Israel[d]:
On your day of punishment,
you will become a heap of rubble.
10 “The leaders of Judah have become like thieves.[e]
So I will pour my anger on them like a waterfall.
11 The people of Israel will be crushed and broken by my judgment
because they are determined to worship idols.[f]
12 I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes wool.
I will make Judah as weak as rotten wood.
13 “When Israel and Judah saw how sick they were,
Israel turned to Assyria—
to the great king there—
but he could neither help nor cure them.
14 I will be like a lion to Israel,
like a strong young lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces!
I will carry them off,
and no one will be left to rescue them.
15 Then I will return to my place
until they admit their guilt and turn to me.
For as soon as trouble comes,
they will earnestly search for me.”
Footnotes
- 5:2 Hebrew at Shittim. The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- 5:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 5:8 Beth-aven means “house of wickedness”; it is being used as another name for Bethel, which means “house of God.”
- 5:9 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 5:11, 12, 13, 14.
- 5:10 Hebrew like those who move a boundary marker.
- 5:11 Or determined to follow human commands. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
Hosea 5
Common English Bible
Hosea 5
Common English Bible
Judgment on Israel and Judah
5 Hear this, priests!
Pay attention, house of Israel!
Listen, house of the king!
The judgment concerns you because you have been a trap at Mizpah,
and a net spread out upon Tabor.
2 In their wicked condition, they have sunk deep into corruption;
I will correct them through judgment.
3 I know Ephraim;
Israel doesn’t escape my eye;
for now Ephraim
you have acted like a prostitute;
Israel is defiled.
4 Their deeds don’t allow them
to return to their God,
because the spirit of prostitution is within them,
and they don’t know the Lord.
5 Israel’s pride is a witness against him;
both Israel and Ephraim stagger because of their guilt;
Judah staggers with them.
6 With their sheep and their cattle they will go
to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them.
7 They have acted faithlessly against the Lord;
for their children have produced illegitimate children.
Now the new moon will devour them[a] along with their fields.
8 Blow a horn in Gibeah;
blow a trumpet in Ramah.
Sound the warning at Beth-aven:
“Look behind you, Benjamin!”
9 Ephraim will become a horrible place
on the Judgment Day.
Against the tribes of Israel
I will certainly announce what is to take place.
10 The princes of Judah act like raiders who steal the land;
I will pour out my anger like water upon them.
11 Ephraim is under pressure from its enemies;
Ephraim’s rights aren’t protected.
This is because Ephraim chose to pursue worthless things.
12 Therefore, I am like a moth to Ephraim,
and like decay to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria,
and Ephraim sent for the great king.
But he could not heal them;
nor could he cure their wound.
14 I am like a lion to Ephraim,
like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I am the one who tears the prey and goes forth;
no one can snatch it from me.
15 I will leave so that I can return to my place
until they pay for their deeds,
until they seek me.
In their distress,
they will beg for my favor:
Footnotes
- Hosea 5:7 Heb uncertain
Hosea 5
New International Version
Hosea 5
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.
2 The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.(D)
I will discipline all of them.(E)
3 I 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.
5 Israel’s arrogance testifies(K) against them;
the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble(L) in their sin;
Judah also stumbles with them.(M)
6 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.
7 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[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.
9 Ephraim will be laid waste(X)
on the day of reckoning.(Y)
Among the tribes of Israel
I proclaim what is certain.(Z)
10 Judah’s leaders are like those
who move boundary stones.(AA)
I will pour out my wrath(AB) on them
like a flood of water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed,
trampled in judgment,
intent on pursuing idols.[c](AC)
12 I 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)
14 For 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)
15 Then 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)”
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.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.