HOSEA
Hosea 5 ©
The prophet goes on in setting forth the judgments of God by the enemies upon all the states of Israel, and upon Judah also, because of their tyranny, all manner of oppression and idolatry, cutting them off from all Divine and human help in their distress, v. 1, etc. Until they would be brought to conversion at last, 15.
HEAR ye this, O 1priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward 2you, because ye have been a 3snare on 4Mizpah, and a net spread upon 5Tabor.
And the revolters are 6profound to make slaughter, though I have been a 7rebuker of them all.
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: 8for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
They will not 9frame their doings to turn unto their God: fora the 10spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not 11known the LORD.
Andb the pride of Israel 12doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim 13fall in their iniquity; Judah also 14shall fall with them.
They shall go with their 15flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath 16withdrawn himself from them.
They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten 17strange children: 18now shall a 19month devour them with their 20portions.
21Blow ye the cornet in 22Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at 23Beth-aven, 24after thee, O Benjamin.
Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of 25rebuke: among the tribes of Israel 26have I made known that which shall 27surely be.
The princes of Judah were like them that remove the 28bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like 29water.
Ephraim is oppressed and 30broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the 31commandment.
Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a 32moth, and to the house of Judah as 33rottenness.
When Ephraim saw his 34sickness, and Judah saw his 35wound, then went Ephraim to the 36Assyrian, and 37sent to king 38Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of 39your wound.
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will 40tear and go away; I will take away, and nonec shall rescue him.
¶I will go and return to my 41place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my 42face: in their affliction they will seek me 43early.