1 ` Hear this, O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, And, O house of the king, give ear, For the judgment for you, For, a snare ye have been on Mizpah, And a net spread out on Tabor.

Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O house of Israel! Listen, O house of the king! For the judgment applies to you, For you have been a snare at Mizpah And a net spread out on Tabor.

2 A nd to slaughter sinners have gone deep, And I a fetter to them all.

The revolters have gone deep in depravity, But I will chastise all of them.

3 I have known Ephraim, And Israel hath not been hid from me, For now thou hast gone a-whoring, Ephraim, Defiled is Israel.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me; For now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot, Israel has defiled itself.

4 T hey give not up their habitual doings, To turn back unto their God, For a spirit of whoredoms in their midst, And Jehovah they have not known.

Their deeds will not allow them To return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, And they do not know the Lord.

5 A nd humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, Stumbled also hath Judah with them.

Moreover, the pride of Israel testifies against him, And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also has stumbled with them.

6 W ith their flock and with their herd, They go to seek Jehovah, and do not find, He hath withdrawn from them.

They will go with their flocks and herds To seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn from them.

7 A gainst Jehovah they dealt treacherously, For strange sons they have begotten, Now consume them doth a month their portions.

They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, For they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon will devour them with their land.

8 B low ye a cornet in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Blow the horn in Gibeah, The trumpet in Ramah. Sound an alarm at Beth-aven: “ Behind you, Benjamin!”

9 E phraim is for a desolation in a day of reproof, Among the tribes of Israel I have made known a sure thing.

Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I declare what is sure.

10 P rinces of Judah have been as those removing a border, On them I do pour out as water My wrath.

The princes of Judah have become like those who move a boundary; On them I will pour out My wrath like water.

11 O ppressed is Ephraim, broken in judgment, When he pleased he went after the command.

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, Because he was determined to follow man’s command.

12 A nd I as a moth to Ephraim, And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.

Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim And like rottenness to the house of Judah.

13 A nd see doth Ephraim his sickness, and Judah his wound, And Ephraim goeth unto Asshur, And sendeth unto a warlike king, And he is not able to give healing to you, Nor doth he remove from you a scar.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah his wound, Then Ephraim went to Assyria And sent to King Jareb. But he is unable to heal you, Or to cure you of your wound.

14 F or I as a lion to Ephraim, And as a young lion to the house of Judah, I -- I tear and go, I bear away, and there is no deliverer.

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver.

15 I go -- I turn back unto My place, Till that they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they do seek Me speedily!'

I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.