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Judgment against Israel

‘Hear this, you priests!
    Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, royal house!
    This judgment is against you:
you have been a snare at Mizpah,
    a net spread out on Tabor.
The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.
    I will discipline all of them.
I know all about Ephraim;
    Israel is not hidden from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
    Israel is corrupt.

‘Their deeds do not permit them
    to return to their God.
A spirit of prostitution is in their heart;
    they do not acknowledge the Lord.
Israel’s arrogance testifies against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.
When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn himself from them.
They are unfaithful to the Lord;
    they give birth to illegitimate children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,
    he will devour[a] their fields.

‘Sound the trumpet in Gibeah,
    the horn in Ramah.
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven[b];
    lead on, Benjamin.
Ephraim will be laid waste
    on the day of reckoning.
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.
10 Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.
I will pour out my wrath on them
    like a flood of water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.[c]
12 I am like a moth to Ephraim,
    like rot to the people of Judah.

13 ‘When Ephraim saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,
    and sent to the great king for help.
But he is not able to cure you,
    not able to heal your sores.
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.
15 Then I will return to my lair
    until they have borne their guilt
    and seek my face –
in their misery
    they will earnestly seek me.’

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.

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

God’s Word Against the Leaders

“Listen, you priests.
    Pay attention, people of Israel.
Listen, royal family,
    because you will all be judged.
You have been like a trap at Mizpah
    and like a net spread out at Mount Tabor.
You have done many evil things,
    so I will punish you all.
I know all about the people of Israel;
    what they have done is not hidden from me.
Now that Israel acts like a prostitute,
    it has made itself unclean.

“They will not give up their deeds
    and return to their God.
They are determined to be unfaithful to me;
    they do not know the Lord.
Israel’s pride testifies against them.
    The people of Israel will stumble because of their sin,
    and the people of Judah will stumble with them.
They will come to worship the Lord,
    bringing their flocks and herds,
but they will not be able to find him,
    because he has left them.
They have not been true to the Lord;
    they are children who do not belong to him.
So their false worship
    will destroy them and their land.

“Blow the horn in Gibeah
    and the trumpet in Ramah.
Give the warning at Beth Aven,
    and be first into battle, people of Benjamin.
Israel will be ruined
    on the day of punishment.
To the tribes of Israel
    I tell the truth.
10 The leaders of Judah are like those
    who steal other people’s land.
I will pour my punishment over them
    like a flood of water.
11 Israel is crushed by the punishment,
    because it decided to follow idols.
12 I am like a moth to Israel,
    like a rot to the people of Judah.

13 “When Israel saw its illness
    and Judah saw its wounds,
Israel went to Assyria for help
    and sent to the great king of Assyria.
But he cannot heal you
    or cure your wounds.
14 I will be like a lion to Israel,
    like a young lion to Judah.
I will attack them
    and tear them to pieces.
I will drag them off,
    and no one will be able to save them.
15 Then I will go back to my place
    until they suffer for their guilt and turn back to me.
    In their trouble they will look for me.”

The Lord Judges Israel

“Listen to me, you priests!
    Pay attention, people of Israel!
Listen, you members of the royal family!
    Here is my decision against you.
You have been like a trap at Mizpah.
    You have been like a net spread out on Mount Tabor.
You refuse to obey me.
    You are knee-deep in killing.
    So I will punish all of you.
I know all about the people of Ephraim.
    What Israel is doing is not hidden from me.
Now they have joined themselves to other gods.
    They have made themselves ‘unclean.’

“They can’t return to me
    because they have done so many evil things.
In their hearts they long to act like prostitutes.
    They do not recognize me as the Lord.
Israel’s pride proves that they are guilty.
    The people of Ephraim trip and fall because they have sinned.
    Judah falls down along with them.
Israel will come to worship the Lord.
    They will bring their animals to offer as sacrifices.
But they will not find him.
    He has turned away from them.
They are not faithful to the Lord.
    Their children are not his.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,
    he will destroy their fields.

“My people, blow trumpets in Gibeah!
    Blow horns in Ramah!
Shout the battle cry in Bethel!
    Say to the people of Benjamin, ‘Lead on into battle!’
The people of Ephraim will be completely destroyed
    when it is time for me to punish them.
They can be sure it will happen.
    I am announcing it among their tribes.
10 Judah’s leaders have stolen some land.
    They have moved their borders farther north.
So I will pour out my anger on them
    like a flood of water.
11 Ephraim will soon be crushed.
    The Assyrians will stomp all over them.
It will happen because they have made up their minds
    to chase after other gods.
12 I will be like a moth to Ephraim.
    I will cause Judah to rot away.

13 “The people of Ephraim saw how sick they were.
    The people of Judah saw that they were wounded.
Then Ephraim turned to Assyria for help.
    They sent gifts to the great King Tiglath-Pileser.
But he is not able to make you well.
    He can’t heal your wounds.
14 I will be like a lion to Ephraim.
    I will attack Judah like a powerful lion.
I will tear them to pieces.
    I will drag them off.
Then I will leave them.
    No one will be able to save them.
15 I will go back to my lion’s den.
    I will stay there until they pay the price for their sin.
Then they will turn to me.
    They will suffer so much
    that they will really want me to help them.”

“Hear ye this, O priests! And hearken, ye house of Israel! And give ye ear, O house of the king! For judgment is against you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

And the revolters are deep in slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

“They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face; therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them.

They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten strange children. Now shall a month devour them with their portions.

“Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah! Cry aloud at Bethaven! After thee, O Benjamin!

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

10 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the landmarks; therefore I will pour out My wrath upon them like water.

11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to King Jareb. Yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah; I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

15 I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offense and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me early.”