Hosea 5

¹Hear this, priests! ^a

Pay attention, house of Israel!

Listen, royal house!

For the judgment applies to you

because you have been a snare at Mizpah ^b

and a net spread out on Tabor.

²Rebels ^c are deeply involved in slaughter; ^d

I will be a punishment for all of them. ^e

³I know Ephraim, ^f

and Israel is not hidden from me.

For now, Ephraim, ^g

you have acted promiscuously;

Israel is defiled.

⁴Their actions do not allow them

to return to their God, ^h

for a spirit of promiscuity is among them, ⁱ

and they do not know the Lord. ^j

⁵Israel’s arrogance testifies against them. ^k,^l

Both Israel and Ephraim stumble

because of their iniquity; ^m

even Judah will stumble with them. ⁿ

⁶They go with their flocks and herds

to seek the Lord^o

but do not find him; ^p

he has withdrawn from them. ^q

⁷They betrayed the Lord; ^r

indeed, they gave birth to illegitimate children. ^s

Now the New Moon ^t will devour them

along with their fields. ^u

⁸Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, ^v

the trumpet in Ramah; ^w

raise the war cry in Beth-aven: ^x

Look behind you, ^y Benjamin! ^z

⁹Ephraim will become a desolation ^aa

on the day of punishment; ^ab

I announce what is certain

among the tribes of Israel. ^ac

¹⁰The princes of Judah are like those

who move boundary markers; ^ad

I will pour out my fury ^ae on them like water. ^af

¹¹Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, ^ag

for he is determined to follow what is worthless. ^ah

¹²So I am like rot to Ephraim ^ai

and like decay to the house of Judah.

¹³When Ephraim saw his sickness

and Judah his wound,

Ephraim went to Assyria ^aj

and sent a delegation to the great king. ^ak,^al

But he cannot cure you or heal your wound. ^am

¹⁴For I am like a lion to Ephraim ^an

and like a young lion to the house of Judah.

Yes, I will tear them to pieces and depart. ^ao

I will carry them off,

and no one can rescue them. ^ap

¹⁵I will depart and return to my place

until they recognize their guilt and seek my face; ^aq

they will search for me in their distress. ^ar