Hosea

Chapter 5

1 Listen, priests, pay attention, people of Israel, and hear this, royal house, because God will judge you. You have been traps at Mizpah and nets on Tabor.

2 The rebels are skilled at killing, even though I have warned them all.

3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me: because now, Ephraim, you are unfaithful, and Israel is unclean.

4 They won’t change their actions to return to God because a spirit of unfaithfulness is among them, and they don’t know God.

5 Israel’s pride shows clearly, so Israel and Ephraim will fall because of their sins; Judah will also fall with them.

6 They will go with their sheep and cattle to look for God, but they will not find him; he has pulled away from them.

7 They have betrayed God: they have had unusual children: now, within a month, they will be destroyed with all they have.

8 Sound the horn in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah; shout loudly at Bethaven, follow you, Benjamin.

9 Ephraim will be ruined on the day of punishment; I have told the tribes of Israel what will definitely happen.

10 The leaders of Judah were like those who move boundaries; so I will pour out my anger on them like water.

11 Ephraim is crushed and judged unfairly because he chose to follow wrong orders.

12 So I will be to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah like decay.

13 When Ephraim noticed his illness, and Judah noticed his injury, Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent a message to King Jareb: but he couldn’t heal you or fix your injury.

14 I will be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to Judah’s people. I will attack and leave, I will carry off, and no one can save them.

15 I will go back to my place until they admit their wrong and look for me. When they are in trouble, they will search for me earnestly.