1 Hear this, O priests; And listen, O house of Israel; And, O house of the king, give ear. For to you belongs the judgment, For you have been a snare at Mizpah And a net spread over Tabor.
2 And the revolters have gone deep into slaughtering, Though I am a chastisement to them all.
3 I know Ephraim, And Israel is not hidden from Me; For now, Ephraim, you have gone about as a harlot; Israel is defiled.
4 Their doings do not permit them To turn to their God; For a spirit of harlotries is within them, And they do not know Jehovah.
5 And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, And Ephraim and Israel will stumble in their iniquity; Judah also will stumble with them.
6 With their flocks and with their herds they will go To seek Jehovah, But they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have acted treacherously against Jehovah, For they have begotten strange children. Now the new moon will devour them With their apportionments.
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah, The trumpet in Ramah; Sound an alarm at Beth-aven: Behind you, O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim will be a desolation In the day of correction; Among the tribes of Israel I have made known what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become Like those who move a boundary mark. I will pour out upon them My overflowing wrath like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, Crushed by judgment, For he was determined to walk After man's command.
12 Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah his wound, Ephraim went to Assyria And sent word to King Jareb; But he cannot heal you, And the wound will not depart from you.
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, I will tear them and go away; I will carry them off, and there will be no one to deliver them.
15 I will go away, I will return to My place, Until they acknowledge their offense And seek My face; In their affliction they will seek Me earnestly.
CHAPTER 6
1 Come and let us return to Jehovah; For He has torn us, but He will heal us, And He has stricken us, but He will bind us up.
2 He will enliven us after two days; On the third day He will raise us up, And we will live in His presence.
3 Therefore let us know, let us pursue knowing Jehovah: His going forth is as sure as the dawn, And He will come to us as the rain, As the latter rain which waters the earth.
4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your lovingkindness is like a morning cloud And like dew that departs early.
5 Therefore I hewed them to pieces by the prophets; I slew them by the words of My mouth, And My judgments went forth as light.
6 For I delight in lovingkindness and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7 But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant; There they have acted treacherously against Me.
8 Gilead is a city of those who commit iniquity; It is tracked with blood.
9 And like bands of robbers lying in wait for a man, The company of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Indeed they commit wickedness.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrid thing: The harlotry of Ephraim is there; Israel has defiled itself.
11 Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, When I will turn the captivity of My people.