Hosea 5
Open in the reader1“Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Strives-with-God! Give ear, O royal house! For this judgment is against you because you have been a snare at Watchtower, a net spread out on Mound.
2The rebels are deep in slaughter; but I will chastise them all.
3I know all about Double-Fruit, and Strives-with-God is not hidden from Me. For now, O Double-Fruit, you have turned to prostitution; Strives-with-God is defiled.
4Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know He-Who-Is.
5Strives-with-God’s arrogance testifies against them; Strives-with-God and Double-Fruit stumble in their iniquity; even Praised stumbles with them.
6They go with their flocks and herds to seek He-Who-Is, but they do not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7They have been unfaithful to He-Who-Is; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land.
8Blow the ram’s horn in The-Hill, the trumpet in The-Height; raise the battle cry in House-of-Iniquity-aven: Lead on, O Son-of-the-Right-Hand!
9Double-Fruit will be laid waste on the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Strives-with-God I proclaim what is certain.
10The princes of Praised are like those who move boundary stones; I will pour out My fury upon them like water.
11Double-Fruit is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols.
12So I am like a moth to Double-Fruit, and like decay to the house of Praised.
13When Double-Fruit saw his sickness and Praised his wound, then Double-Fruit turned to Successful and sent to the Contender king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.
14For I am like a lion to Double-Fruit and like a young lion to the house of Praised. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.
15Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”