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Judgment Against Israel and Judah

Hear this, O priests!
    Pay attention, O house of Israel!
Listen, O house of the king!
    For the judgment is for you,
because you have been a snare at Mizpah
    and a net spread over Tabor,
and a pit dug deep in Shittim;
    but I will discipline them all.
I know Ephraim,
    and Israel is not hidden from Me;
for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore.
    Israel is defiled.

Their deeds do not allow them
    to return to their God;
for a spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
    and they do not know the Lord.
The pride of Israel testifies against him.
    Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity.
    Judah also stumbles with them.
With their flocks and their herds they will go
    to seek the Lord,
but they will not find Him.
    He has withdrawn from them.
They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord,
    for they have given birth to illegitimate children.
Now the New Moon will devour them
    along with their portion.

War, Wrath, and Repentance

Blow the horn in Gibeah,
    and the trumpet in Ramah.
Cry aloud at Beth Aven,
    Look behind you, O Benjamin!”[a]
Ephraim will become desolate
    in the day of punishment.
Among the tribes of Israel
    I make known that which is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become
    like those who remove a boundary marker.
Upon them I will pour out
    My wrath like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed
    and broken in judgment,
    because he eagerly followed after vanity.
12 Therefore I will be like pus to Ephraim
    and like rottenness to the house of Judah.

13 When Ephraim saw his sickness
    and Judah saw his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria,
    and sent to King Jareb.[b]
Yet he cannot cure you
    or heal your wound.
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 will rescue.
15 I will again return to My place
    until they acknowledge their offense
and seek My face.
    In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 5:8 Or “After you, O Benjamin!”
  2. Hosea 5:13 Or the great king.

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.