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Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah

Hear this, O priests!
    Give heed, O house of Israel!
Listen, O house of the king!
    For the judgment pertains to you,
for you have been a snare at Mizpah
    and a net spread upon Tabor(A)
and a pit dug deep in Shittim,[a]
    but I will punish all of them.

I know Ephraim,
    and Israel is not hidden from me,
for now, O Ephraim, you have prostituted yourself;
    Israel is defiled.(B)
Their deeds do not permit them
    to return to their God.
For the spirit of prostitution is within them,
    and they do not know the Lord.(C)

Israel’s pride testifies against him;
    Ephraim[b] stumbles in his guilt;
    Judah also stumbles with them.(D)
With their flocks and herds they shall go
    to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn from them.(E)
They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord,
    for they have borne illegitimate children.
    Now the new moon shall devour them along with their fields.(F)

Blow the horn in Gibeah,
    the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound the alarm at Beth-aven;
    look behind you, Benjamin!(G)
Ephraim shall become a desolation
    in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
    I declare what is sure.(H)
10 The princes of Judah have become
    like those who remove the landmark;
on them I will pour out
    my wrath like water.(I)
11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,
    because he was determined to go after vanity.[c]
12 Therefore I am like maggots to Ephraim
    and like rottenness to the house of Judah.(J)
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness
    and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria
    and sent to the great king.[d]
But he is not able to cure you
    or heal your wound.(K)
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim
    and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I myself will tear and go away;
    I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.(L)
15 I will return again to my place
    until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.
    In their distress they will beg my favor:(M)

Footnotes

  1. 5.2 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 5.5 Heb Israel and Ephraim
  3. 5.11 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 5.13 Cn: Heb to a king who will contend

Judgment against Israel

“Hear this, priests,
    pay attention, house of Israel,
        listen, royal family!
For judgment is coming your way,[a]
    because you have been a trap to Mizpah,
        a snare spread out on Mount[b] Tabor.
The rebels are deep into their slaughter;
    I am punishing them all.
I know Ephraim,
    and Israel cannot hide from me,
since you, Ephraim, have been acting like a prostitute,
    defiling Israel.

“Their actions hinder them from turning to their God,
    because a spirit of fornication is in their midst,
        and the Lord they do not know.
The arrogance of Israel testifies against him;
    therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity,
        and Judah with them.
They will go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn from them.
They have been unfaithful to the Lord,
    having raised unbelieving children.
In the coming month they will be devoured,
    along with their fields.[c]

“Sound the trumpet in Gibeah,
    and the alarm in Ramah.
Cry out at Beth-aven
    Go out,[d] Benjamin!
Ephraim will be desolate
    when it is rebuked.
I have made known among the tribes of Israel
    what will surely come about.
10 The princes of Judah have become
    like those who move boundary markers:
        I will pour out my anger on them like water.
11 Ephraim is crushed,
    broken by judgment,
        because he[e] willingly pursued idols.[f]
12 Therefore I will consume[g] Ephraim like a moth,
    and the house of Judah as rottenness consumes.
13 When Ephraim examined his illness
    and Judah his injury,
then Ephraim went to Assyria,
    and inquired of the great king;
but he could not cure you
    nor heal your injury.
14 Therefore I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
    and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I—even I—will tear them[h] to pieces,
    and then I will leave.
I will take them[i] away,
    and there will be no rescue.

15 “I will leave and go back to my place
    until they admit their offense
        and seek my face.
When affliction comes to them,
    they will eagerly seek me.”

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 5:1 Lit. is toward you
  2. Hosea 5:1 The Heb. lacks Mount
  3. Hosea 5:7 Or inheritance
  4. Hosea 5:8 So LXX; MT After you
  5. Hosea 5:11 I.e. Ephraim as an individual personifying the northern kingdom of Israel.
  6. Hosea 5:11 So LXX; MT reads willingly went away from the command
  7. Hosea 5:12 The Heb. lacks will consume
  8. Hosea 5:14 The Heb. lacks them
  9. Hosea 5:14 The Heb. lacks them

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 knee-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 prostitution(I) 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[a](S) their fields.

“Sound the trumpet(T) in Gibeah,(U)
    the horn in Ramah.(V)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven[b];(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)
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

  1. Hosea 5:7 Or Now their New Moon feasts / will devour them and
  2. Hosea 5:8 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
  3. Hosea 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.