Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah

“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.
The revolters are (B)deeply involved in slaughter,
Though I rebuke them all.
(C)I know Ephraim,
And Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, (D)you commit harlotry;
Israel is defiled.

“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.
The (F)pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
Judah also stumbles with them.

“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He has withdrawn Himself from them.
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.

“Blow(I) the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
(J)Cry aloud at (K)Beth Aven,
Look behind you, O Benjamin!’
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

  1. Hosea 5:1 Or to you
  2. Hosea 5:4 Or Their deeds will not allow them to turn
  3. Hosea 5:7 Lit. strange
  4. Hosea 5:15 Lit. become guilty or bear punishment

שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֨את הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְהַקְשִׁ֣יבוּ׀ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּבֵ֤ית הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַאֲזִ֔ינוּ כִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם הַמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּֽי־פַח֙ הֱיִיתֶ֣ם לְמִצְפָּ֔ה וְרֶ֖שֶׁת פְּרוּשָׂ֥ה עַל־תָּבֽוֹר׃

וְשַׁחֲטָ֥ה שֵׂטִ֖ים הֶעְמִ֑יקוּ וַאֲנִ֖י מוּסָ֥ר לְכֻלָּֽם׃

אֲנִי֙ יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹֽא־נִכְחַ֣ד מִמֶּ֑נִּי כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ הִזְנֵ֣יתָ אֶפְרַ֔יִם נִטְמָ֖א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

לֹ֤א יִתְּנוּ֙ מַ֣עַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם לָשׁ֖וּב אֶל־אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם כִּ֣י ר֤וּחַ זְנוּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם וְאֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃

וְעָנָ֥ה גְאֽוֹן־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָנָ֑יו וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל וְאֶפְרַ֗יִם יִכָּֽשְׁלוּ֙ בַּעֲוֺנָ֔ם כָּשַׁ֥ל גַּם־יְהוּדָ֖ה עִמָּֽם׃

בְּצֹאנָ֣ם וּבִבְקָרָ֗ם יֵֽלְכ֛וּ לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָ֑אוּ חָלַ֖ץ מֵהֶֽם׃

בַּיהוָ֣ה בָּגָ֔דוּ כִּֽי־בָנִ֥ים זָרִ֖ים יָלָ֑דוּ עַתָּ֛ה יֹאכְלֵ֥ם חֹ֖דֶשׁ אֶת־חֶלְקֵיהֶֽם׃ ס

תִּקְע֤וּ שׁוֹפָר֙ בַּגִּבְעָ֔ה חֲצֹצְרָ֖ה בָּרָמָ֑ה הָרִ֙יעוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ בִּנְיָמִֽין׃

אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה בְּי֖וֹם תּֽוֹכֵחָ֑ה בְּשִׁבְטֵי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הוֹדַ֖עְתִּי נֶאֱמָנָֽה׃

10 הָיוּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כְּמַסִּיגֵ֖י גְּב֑וּל עֲלֵיהֶ֕ם אֶשְׁפּ֥וֹךְ כַּמַּ֖יִם עֶבְרָתִֽי׃

11 עָשׁ֥וּק אֶפְרַ֖יִם רְצ֣וּץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֣י הוֹאִ֔יל הָלַ֖ךְ אַחֲרֵי־צָֽו׃

12 וַאֲנִ֥י כָעָ֖שׁ לְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְכָרָקָ֖ב לְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃

13 וַיַּ֨רְא אֶפְרַ֜יִם אֶת־חָלְי֗וֹ וִֽיהוּדָה֙ אֶת־מְזֹר֔וֹ וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ אֶל־אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יָרֵ֑ב וְה֗וּא לֹ֤א יוּכַל֙ לִרְפֹּ֣א לָכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־יִגְהֶ֥ה מִכֶּ֖ם מָזֽוֹר׃

14 כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֤י כַשַּׁ֙חַל֙ לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם וְכַכְּפִ֖יר לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲנִ֨י אֲנִ֤י אֶטְרֹף֙ וְאֵלֵ֔ךְ אֶשָּׂ֖א וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּֽיל׃

15 אֵלֵ֤ךְ אָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אֶל־מְקוֹמִ֔י עַ֥ד אֲשֶֽׁר־יֶאְשְׁמ֖וּ וּבִקְשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י בַּצַּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם יְשַׁחֲרֻֽנְנִי׃

`Hear this, O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, And, O house of the king, give ear, For the judgment [is] for you, For, a snare ye have been on Mizpah, And a net spread out on Tabor.

And to slaughter sinners have gone deep, And I [am] a fetter to them all.

I have known Ephraim, And Israel hath not been hid from me, For now thou hast gone a-whoring, Ephraim, Defiled is Israel.

They give not up their habitual doings, To turn back unto their God, For a spirit of whoredoms [is] in their midst, And Jehovah they have not known.

And humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, Stumbled also hath Judah with them.

With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek Jehovah, and do not find, He hath withdrawn from them.

Against Jehovah they dealt treacherously, For strange sons they have begotten, Now consume them doth a month [with] their portions.

Blow ye a cornet in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Ephraim is for a desolation in a day of reproof, Among the tribes of Israel I have made known a sure thing.

10 Princes of Judah have been as those removing a border, On them I do pour out as water My wrath.

11 Oppressed is Ephraim, broken in judgment, When he pleased he went after the command.

12 And I [am] as a moth to Ephraim, And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.

13 And see doth Ephraim his sickness, and Judah his wound, And Ephraim goeth unto Asshur, And sendeth unto a warlike king, And he is not able to give healing to you, Nor doth he remove from you a scar.

14 For I [am] as a lion to Ephraim, And as a young lion to the house of Judah, I -- I tear and go, I bear away, and there is no deliverer.

15 I go -- I turn back unto My place, Till that they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they do seek Me speedily!'