1 "Listen to this, you priests!

Listen, house of Israel,

and give ear, house of the king!

For the judgment is against you;

for you have been a snare at Mizpah,

and a net spread on Tabor.

2 The rebels are deep in slaughter,

but I discipline all of them.

3 I know Ephraim,

and Israel is not hidden from me;

for now, Ephraim, you have played the prostitute.

Israel is defiled.

4 Their deeds won’t allow them to turn to their God,

for the spirit of prostitution is within them,

and they don’t know Yahweh.

5 The pride of Israel testifies to his face.

Therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity.

Judah also will stumble with them.

6 They will go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Yahweh,

but they won’t find him.

He has withdrawn himself from them.

7 They are unfaithful to Yahweh;

for they have borne illegitimate children.

Now the new moon will devour them with their fields.

8 "Blow the cornet in Gibeah,

and the trumpet in Ramah!

Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin!

9 Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke.

Among the tribes of Israel, I have made known that which will surely be.

10 The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark.

I will pour out my wrath on them like water.

11 Ephraim is oppressed,

he is crushed in judgment,

because he is intent in his pursuit of idols.

12 Therefore I am to Ephraim like a moth,

and to the house of Judah like rottenness.

13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness,

and Judah his wound,

then Ephraim went to Assyria,

and sent to king Jareb:

but he is not able to heal you,

neither will he cure you of your wound.

14 For I will be to Ephraim like a lion,

and like a young lion to the house of Judah.

I myself will tear in pieces and go away.

I will carry off, and there will be no one to deliver.

15 I will go and return to my place,

until they acknowledge their offense,

and seek my face.

In their affliction they will seek me earnestly."

1 Hoor dit, o priesters, en let op, o huis van Israel, en gee gehoor, o huis van die koning! Want die vonnis raak julle, omdat julle vir Mispa 'n vangnet geword het en 'n uitgespreide net op Tabor.

2 Ja, in verderflike praktyke verdiep die afvalliges hulle, maar Ek sal hulle almal tot tugtiging wees.

3 Ek ken Efraim, en Israel is vir My nie verborge nie; want nou het jy owerspel bedrywe, o Efraim! Israel is verontreinig.

4 Hulle dade gedoog geen terugkeer tot hulle God nie, want daar is 'n gees van hoerery in hulle binneste, en hulle ken die HERE nie.

5 En die trotsheid van Israel getuig openlik teen hom; en Israel en Efraim sal struikel deur hulle ongeregtigheid, ook Juda sal saam met hulle struikel.

6 Met hulle kleinvee en hulle beeste sal hulle heengaan om die HERE te soek, maar Hom nie vind nie. Hy het Hom aan hulle onttrek.

7 Hulle het troueloos gehandel teen die HERE, want hulle het onegte kinders verwek; nou sal die nuwemaan hulle met hul velde verteer.

8 Blaas die basuin in G¡bea, die trompet in Rama! Hef aan die krygsgeskreeu in Bet-Awen. Agter jou kom dit, Benjamin!

9 Efraim sal 'n woesteny word op die dag van straf; onder die stamme van Israel maak Ek bekend wat seker is.

10 Die vorste van Juda is soos hulle wat die grenslyne verlê. Ek sal my grimmigheid oor hulle uitgiet soos water.

11 Efraim is verdruk, verbreek deur die oordeel; want dit het hom behaag om na die gebod van mense te wandel.

12 Daarom is Ek vir Efraim soos 'n mot en vir die huis van Juda soos 'n verrotting in die gebeente.

13 Toe Efraim sy krankheid sien en Juda sy sweer, het Efraim na Assur gegaan en na koning Jareb gestuur; maar hy kan julle nie genees en julle van die sweer nie gesond maak nie.

14 Want Ek is soos 'n leeu vir Efraim, en soos 'n jong leeu vir die huis van Juda; Ek, Ek verskeur en gaan heen, Ek dra weg sonder dat iemand red.

15 Dan gaan Ek heen, Ek keer na my woonplek terug, totdat hulle skuld beken en my aangesig soek. In hulle nood sal hulle My soek.