Hosea 5
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
5 Hear this, O you priests! And listen, O house of Israel! And give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment pronounced pertains to you and is meant for you, because you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor [military strongholds on either side of the Jordan River].
2 The revolters are deeply sunk in corruption and slaughter, but I [the Lord God] am a rebuke and a chastisement for them all.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot and have worshiped idols; Israel is defiled.
4 Their doings will not permit them to return to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is within them and they know not the Lord [they do not recognize, appreciate, give heed to, or cherish the Lord].
5 But the pride and self-reliance of Israel testifies before his [own] face. Therefore shall [all] Israel, and [especially] Ephraim [the northern ten tribes], totter and fall in their iniquity and guilt, and Judah shall stumble and fall with them.
6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord [inquiring for and requiring Him], but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have dealt faithlessly and treacherously with the Lord [their espoused Husband], for they have borne alien children. Now shall a [single] New Moon (one month) devour them with their fields.
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah [both lofty hills on Benjamin’s northern border]. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven: [the enemy is] behind you and after you, O Benjamin [be on your guard]!
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of rebuke and punishment. Among the tribes of Israel I declare what shall surely be.
10 The princes of Judah are like those who remove the landmark [the barrier between right and wrong]; I will pour out My wrath upon them like water.(A)
11 Ephraim is oppressed; he is broken and crushed by [divine] judgment, because he was content to walk after idols (images) and man’s [evil] command [a](vanities and filth).
12 Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim and like dry rot to the house of Judah [in My judgment against them].
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to [Assyria’s] great King Jareb [for help]. Yet he cannot heal you nor will he cure you of your wound [received in divine judgment].
14 For I will be to Ephraim like a lion, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will rend and go on [rending]; I will carry off and there will be no one to deliver.
15 I will return to My place [on high] until they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction and distress they will seek, inquire for, and require Me earnestly, saying,
Footnotes
- Hosea 5:11 “Vanities” is the rendering of The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament); “filth,” the rendering of The Dead Sea Scrolls.
Hosea 5
New King James Version
Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah
5 “Hear this, O priests!
Take heed, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For [a]yours is the judgment,
Because (A)you have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread on Tabor.
2 The revolters are (B)deeply involved in slaughter,
Though I rebuke them all.
3 (C)I know Ephraim,
And Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, (D)you commit harlotry;
Israel is defiled.
4 “They[b] do not direct their deeds
Toward turning to their God,
For (E)the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
And they do not know the Lord.
5 The (F)pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
Judah also stumbles with them.
6 “With their flocks and herds
(G)They shall go to seek the Lord,
But they will not find Him;
He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have (H)dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have begotten [c]pagan children.
Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.
8 “Blow(I) the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
(J)Cry aloud at (K)Beth Aven,
‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!’
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.
10 “The princes of Judah are like those who (L)remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
11 Ephraim is (M)oppressed and broken in judgment,
Because he willingly walked by (N)human precept.
12 Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth,
And to the house of Judah (O)like rottenness.
13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah saw his (P)wound,
Then Ephraim went (Q)to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb;
Yet he cannot cure you,
Nor heal you of your wound.
14 For (R)I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(S)I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
15 I will return again to My place
Till they [d]acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
Footnotes
- Hosea 5:1 Or to you
- Hosea 5:4 Or Their deeds will not allow them to turn
- Hosea 5:7 Lit. strange
- Hosea 5:15 Lit. become guilty or bear punishment
Hosea 5
English Standard Version
Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah
5 (A)Hear this, O priests!
Pay attention, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For the judgment is for you;
for (B)you have been a snare at Mizpah
and a net spread upon (C)Tabor.
2 And (D)the revolters (E)have gone deep into slaughter,
but (F)I will discipline all of them.
3 (G)I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hidden from me;
for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;
Israel is defiled.
4 (H)Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
For (I)the spirit of whoredom is within them,
and they know not the Lord.
5 (J)The pride of Israel testifies to his face;[a]
Israel and (K)Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;
(L)Judah also shall stumble with them.
6 (M)With their flocks and herds they shall go
to seek the Lord,
(N)but they will not find him;
(O)he has withdrawn from them.
7 (P)They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord;
for they have borne alien children.
Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.
8 (Q)Blow the horn in (R)Gibeah,
the trumpet in (S)Ramah.
Sound the alarm at (T)Beth-aven;
we follow you,[b] O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation
in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
I make known what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become
like (U)those who move the landmark;
upon them I will pour out
my wrath like water.
11 Ephraim is (V)oppressed, crushed in judgment,
because he was determined to go after filth.[c]
12 But I am (W)like a moth to Ephraim,
and (X)like dry rot to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah (Y)his wound,
then Ephraim went (Z)to Assyria,
and sent to the great king.[d]
(AA)But he is not able to cure you
or heal (AB)your wound.
14 For I will be (AC)like a lion to (AD)Ephraim,
and like a young lion to the house of (AE)Judah.
(AF)I, even I, will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
15 (AG)I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and (AH)in their distress earnestly seek me.
Footnotes
- Hosea 5:5 Or in his presence
- Hosea 5:8 Or after you
- Hosea 5:11 Or to follow human precepts
- Hosea 5:13 Or to King Jareb
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
