Hosea 5

Judgment on Priests, Israel, and the Royal House

1Hear this, priests!
Pay attention, house of Israel!
Give ear, house of the king!
For judgment is for you,
because you have been a snare at Mizpah
and a net spread over Tabor. 2The rebels have gone deep into slaughter,
but I am discipline for them all. 3I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hidden from me.
For now, Ephraim, you have prostituted yourself;
Israel is defiled.

Their Deeds Do Not Allow Them to Return

4Their deeds do not allow them
to return to their God,
for a spirit of prostitution is within them,
and they do not know the LORD. 5The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Israel and Ephraim stumble in their guilt;
Judah also stumbles with them. 6With their flocks and herds
they will go to seek the LORD,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them. 7They have acted treacherously against the LORD,
for they have borne foreign children.
Now a new moon will devour them
with their portions.

Blow the Horn

8Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
the trumpet in Ramah!
Sound the alarm at Beth-Aven!
Behind you, Benjamin! 9Ephraim will become a desolation
on the day of rebuke.
Among the tribes of Israel
I make known what is certain. 10The officials of Judah
have become like those who move a boundary marker.
Upon them I will pour out
my fury like water. 11Ephraim is oppressed,
crushed in judgment,
because he was determined
to walk after a command. 12Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim
and like decay
to the house of Judah.

Ephraim Goes to Assyria

13When Ephraim saw his sickness
and Judah his wound,
Ephraim went to Assyria
and sent to the great king.
But he is not able to heal you
or cure your wound. 14For 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. 15I will go and return to my place
until they acknowledge their guilt
and seek my face.
In their distress
they will seek me earnestly.