1 Heare yee this, O priests, and hearken, ye house of Israel, and giue yee eare, O house of the king: for iudgement is toward you, because yee haue beene a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread vpon Tabor.
2 And the reuolters are profound to make slaughter, though I haue bene a rebuker of them all.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whordome, and Israel is defiled.
4 They will not frame their doings to turne vnto their God: for the spirit of whoredomes is in the midst of them, and they haue not knowen the Lord.
5 And the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Iudah also shall fall with them.
6 They shall goe with their flocks, and with their heards to seeke the Lord: but they shall not finde him, he hath withdrawen himselfe from them.
7 They haue dealt treacherously against the Lord: for they haue begotten strange children, now shall a moneth deuoure them with their portions.
8 Blow yee the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry alowd at Beth-auen: after thee, O Beniamin.
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel haue I made knowen that which shall surely be.
10 The Princes of Iudah were like them that remooue the bound: therefore I will powre out my wrath vpon them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, and broken in iudgement: because he willingly walked after the commandement.
12 Therefore wil I be vnto Ephraim as a moth: and to the house of Iudah as rottennesse.
13 When Ephraim saw his sicknesse, and Iudah saw his wound: then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Iareb; yet could he not heale you, nor cure you of your wound.
14 For I will bee vnto Ephraim as a Lion, and as a yong Lion to the house of Iudah: I, euen I wil teare and goe away: I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
15 ¶ I will goe and returne to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seeke my face: in their affliction they will seeke me early.
Chap 6
1 Come, and let vs returne vnto the Lord: for hee hath torne, and hee will heale vs: he hath smitten, and he will binde vs vp.
2 After two daies will he reuiue vs, in the third day he will raise vs vp, and we shall liue in his sight.
3 Then shal we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared, as the morning; & he shall come vnto vs, as the raine; as the latter and former raine vnto the earth.
4 ¶ O Ephraim, what shall I doe vnto thee? O Iudah, what shall I do vnto thee? for your goodnesse is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
5 Therefore haue I shewed them by the Prophets: I haue slaine them by the wordes of my mouth, and thy iudgements are as the light that goeth foorth.
6 For I desired mercie, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more then burnt offerings.
7 But they like men haue transgressed the Couenant: there haue they dealt treacherously against me.
8 Gilead is a city of them that worke iniquitie; and is polluted with blood.
9 And as troupes of robbers waite for a man, so the company of priestes murther in the way by consent: for they commit lewdnesse.
10 I haue seene an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredome of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
11 Also O Iudah, hee hath set an haruest for thee, when I returned the captiuitie of my people.
Chap 7
1 When I would haue healed Israel, then the iniquitie of Ephraim was discouered, and the wickednesse of Samaria: for they commit falsehood: and the thiefe commeth in, and the troupe of robbers spoileth without.
2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember al their wickednesse: now their owne doings haue beset them about, they are before my face.
3 They make the king glad with their wickednesse, and the princes with their lies.
4 They are al adulterers, as an ouen heated by the baker: who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, vntill it be leauened.
5 In the day of our King, the princes haue made him sicke with bottels of wine, he stretched out his hand with scorners.
6 For they haue made ready their heart like an ouen, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night, in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot as an ouen, and haue deuoured their Iudges; all their Kings are fallen, there is none among them that calleth vnto me.
8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himselfe among the people, Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Strangers haue deuoured his strength, and hee knoweth it not: yea, gray haires are here and there vpon him, yet he knoweth not.
10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face, and they doe not returne to the Lord their God, nor seeke him for all this.
11 ¶ Ephraim also is like a silly doue, without heart: they call to Egypt; they goe to Assyria.
12 When they shall goe, I wil spread my net vpon them, I will bring them downe as the foules of the heauen: I will chastise them as their congregation hath heard.
13 Woe vnto them, for they haue fled from me: destruction vnto them, because they haue transgressed against me, though I haue redeemed them, yet they haue spoken lies against me.
14 And they haue not cryed vnto me with their heart, when they howled vpon their beds: they assemble themselues for corne and wine, and they rebell against me.
15 Though I haue bound, and strengthened their armes, yet doe they imagine mischiefe against me.
16 They returne, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitfull bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).