The Lord Will Judge Israel and Judah

5 “Hear this, O religious leaders! Listen, O people of Israel! Listen, O family of the king! For you are to be judged. You have been a trap at Mizpah, and a net spread out on Tabor. ² Those who will not obey have gone deep into sin, but I will punish all of them. ³ I know all about Ephraim. Israel is not hidden from Me. O Ephraim, you have acted like a woman who sells the use of her body. Israel has made itself unclean. ⁴ Their wrong-doing will not allow them to return to their God. For a spirit of a woman who sells the use of her body is within them, and they do not know the Lord. ⁵ The pride of Israel speaks against them. Israel and Ephraim fall in their sin, and Judah has fallen with them. ⁶ They will go with their flocks and cattle to look for the Lord, but they will not find Him. He has gone away from them. ⁷ They have not been faithful to the Lord, for they have given birth to children who are not His. Now the new moon will destroy them with their land.

War between Judah and Israel

⁸ “Blow the horn in Gibeah and in Ramah! Let the sound of danger be heard at Beth-aven! Look behind you, Benjamin! ⁹ Ephraim will be laid waste in the day of punishment. Among the family groups of Israel I make known what is sure. ¹⁰ The leaders of Judah are like those who take away the land-marks. I will pour out My anger on them like water. ¹¹ It is hard for Ephraim. He is crushed by punishment, because he wanted to follow what is of no worth. ¹² So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like a wasting disease to the people of Judah. ¹³ When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his sore, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb for help. But he is not able to cure you, or heal your sore. ¹⁴ For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the people of Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away. I will carry them away, with no one to take them. ¹⁵ I will go away and return to My place until they know they are guilty and look for Me. In their suffering they will try to find Me.”

The People Are toTurn from Their Sin

6 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has hurt us but He will heal us. He has cut us but He will cover the sore. ² After two days He will give us new life. He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. ³ So keep on trying to know the Lord. His coming to us is as sure as the rising of the sun. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain giving water to the earth.”

⁴ “What should I do with you, Ephraim? What should I do with you, Judah? Your loving-kindness is like a morning cloud, and like the water on the grass in the early morning. ⁵ So I have cut them in pieces by the men who speak for Me. I have killed them by the words of My mouth. My punishments come upon you like lightning. ⁶ I want loving-kindness and not a gift to be given in worship. I want people to know God instead of giving burnt gifts. ⁷ But like Adam they have sinned against the agreement. They were not faithful to Me there. ⁸ Gilead is a city of wrong-doers, with blood in every footstep. ⁹ Like robbers lie in wait for a man, a group of religious leaders kill on the way to Shechem. For sure they have done a sinful thing. ¹⁰ I have seen a very bad thing among the people of Israel. Ephraim has left Me to worship false gods. Israel has made itself unclean. ¹¹ Also, Judah, there is a time coming for you, when I give back the riches of My people.

7 “Whenever I would heal Israel, I see the sin of Ephraim and the wrong-doing of Samaria. They are false in their ways. The robber breaks into houses, and sinful men rob in the streets. ² They do not think about how I remember all the sinful things they do. Their sins are all around them, and are always before Me. ³ They make the king glad with their wrong-doing, and the leaders with their lies. ⁴ None of them are faithful. They are like a hot stove whose fire the bread-maker leaves alone from the time he makes the dough until the bread rises. ⁵ On the special day of our king the leaders became drunk with wine. He joined hands with those who laughed at the truth. ⁶ Their hearts are like a hot stove as they make their plans. Their anger smokes all night, and in the morning it burns like a hot fire. ⁷ All of them are hot like a stove, and they destroy their leaders. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls to Me for help.

Israel Cannot Depend on the Nations

⁸ “Ephraim mixes with the nations. Ephraim is a cake not turned. ⁹ Strangers destroy his strength, yet he does not know it. White hairs come upon him, yet he does not know it. ¹⁰ Israel’s pride speaks against him, yet they do not return to the Lord their God. Even for all this, they do not look for Him. ¹¹ Ephraim is like a foolish dove that is not able to think. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria. ¹² When they go, I will spread My net over them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will punish them for the sinful things they have done. ¹³ It is bad for them, for they have turned away from Me! They will be destroyed, for they would not obey Me! I would save them and make them free, but they speak lies against Me. ¹⁴ They do not cry out to Me from their heart when they cry on their beds. They come together for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me. ¹⁵ I taught them and gave strength to their arms, yet they make sinful plans against Me. ¹⁶ They do not turn to the Most High. They are like a bow that does not work right. Their leaders will be killed by the sword because of their proud words. And those in the land of Egypt will laugh at them.

Israel Worships False Gods

8 “Put the horn to your lips! Men who hate us are coming like an eagle to fight against the house of the Lord, because the people of Israel have sinned against My agreement and would not obey My Law. ² They cry out to Me, ‘My God, we of Israel know You!’ ³ Israel has turned away from the good, and those who hate him will come after him. ⁴ They have set up kings, but not by Me. They have chosen leaders, but I did not know it. They have made false gods for themselves out of silver and gold, so they will be destroyed. ⁵ O Samaria, I will have nothing to do with the calf you worship. My anger burns against them! How long will it be before they are pure ⁶ in Israel? A workman made this calf, so it is not God. The calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces. ⁷ They plant the wind and they will gather the storm. The standing grain has no heads, and will give no food. If it were to give food, strangers would eat it.

⁸ “Israel is eaten up. They are now among the nations like a pot that is of no worth. ⁹ They have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey all alone. Ephraim has hired lovers. ¹⁰ Even when they hire people among the nations to help them, I will now gather them together. And they will begin to waste away because the powerful king will make it hard for them.

¹¹ “Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin gifts, they have become altars for sinning. ¹² I wrote 10,000 of My Laws for him, but they think of them as something strange. ¹³ They give gifts to Me and eat the meat of the gifts, but the Lord is not pleased with them. Now He will remember their wrong-doing and punish them for their sins. They will return to Egypt. ¹⁴ Israel has forgotten his Maker and built great houses. And Judah has built many strong cities ready for battle. But I will send a fire upon its cities that will destroy its beautiful houses.”