Hosea

1“Listen to this, you priests!Listen, house of Israel, and give ear, house of the king!For the judgment is against you;for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.

2The rebels are deep in slaughter,but I discipline all of them.

3I know Ephraim,and Israel is not hidden from me;for now, Ephraim, you have played the prostitute.Israel is defiled.

4Their deeds won’t allow them to turn to their God,for the spirit of prostitution is within them, and they don’t know the LORD.

5The pride of Israel testifies to his face.Therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity. Judah also will stumble with them.

6They will go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD,but they won’t find him. He has withdrawn himself from them.

7They are unfaithful to the LORD;for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon will devour them with their fields.

8“Blow the cornet in Gibeah,and the trumpet in Ramah! Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin!

9Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke.Among the tribes of Israel, I have made known that which will surely be.

10The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark.I will pour out my wrath on them like water.

11Ephraim is oppressed,he is crushed in judgment, because he is intent in his pursuit of idols.

12Therefore I am to Ephraim like a moth,and to the house of Judah like rottenness.

13“When Ephraim saw his sickness,and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to King Jareb:but he is not able to heal you,neither will he cure you of your wound.

14For I will be to Ephraim like a lion,and like a young lion to the house of Judah.I myself will tear in pieces and go away.I will carry off, and there will be no one to deliver.

15I will go and return to my place,until they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me earnestly.”

1'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.

2And to slaughter sinners have gone deep, And I [am] a fetter to them all.

3I have known Ephraim, And Israel hath not been hid from me, For now thou hast gone a-whoring, Ephraim, Defiled is Israel.

4They 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.

5And humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, Stumbled also hath Judah with them.

6With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek Jehovah, and do not find, He hath withdrawn from them.

7Against Jehovah they dealt treacherously, For strange sons they have begotten, Now consume them doth a month [with] their portions.

8Blow ye a cornet in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

9Ephraim is for a desolation in a day of reproof, Among the tribes of Israel I have made known a sure thing.

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

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

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

13And 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.

14For 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.

15I 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!'