Hosea (Douay: Osee) 5

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.

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

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

⁴ Their 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.

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

⁶ They 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 He has withdrawn himself from them.

⁷ They 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!

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

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

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

¹² Therefore 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.

¹⁴ For 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.

¹⁵ I 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 HHear ye this, O priests, and hearken, O ye house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king: for there is a judgment against you, because you have been a snare to them whom you should have watched over and a net spread upon Thabor.

² And you have turned aside victims into the depth and I am the teacher of them all.

³ I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me for now Ephraim hath committed fornication, Israel is defiled.

⁴ They will not set their thoughts to return to their God: for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

⁵ And the pride of Israel shall answer in his face: and Israel, and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity, Juda also shall fall with them.

⁶ With their flocks and with their herds, they shall go to seek the Lord, and shall not find him: he is withdrawn from them.

⁷ They have transgressed against the Lord: for they have begotten children that are strangers: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

⁸ Blow ye the cornet in Gabaa, the trumpet in Rama: howl ye in Bethaven, behind thy back, O Benjamin.

⁹ Ephraim shall be in desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel I have shewn that which shall surely be.

¹⁰ The princes of Juda are become as they that take up the bound: I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

¹¹ Ephraim is under oppression, and broken in judgment: because he began to go after filthiness.

¹² And I will be like a moth to Ephraim: and like rottenness to the house of Juda.

¹³ And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Juda his band: and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to the avenging king: and he shall not be able to heal you, neither shall he be able to take off the band from you.

¹⁴ For I will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion’s whelp to the house of Juda: I, I will catch, and go: I will take away, and there is none that can rescue.

¹⁵ I will go and return to my place: until you are consumed, and seek my face.