שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֨את הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְהַקְשִׁ֣יבוּ ׀ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּבֵ֤ית הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַאֲזִ֔ינוּ כִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם הַמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּי־פַח֙ הֱיִיתֶ֣ם לְמִצְפָּ֔ה וְרֶ֖שֶׁת פְּרוּשָׂ֥ה עַל־תָּבֽוֹר׃ Hear this, O priests,
Attend, O HouseaHouse Emendation yields “prophets.” of Israel,
And give ear, O royal house;
For right conduct is your responsibility!
But youbFor right conduct is your responsibility! / But you Or “This verdict pertains to you. / You.” have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread out over Tabor;
וְשַׁחֲטָ֥ה שֵׂטִ֖ים הֶעְמִ֑יקוּ וַאֲנִ֖י מוּסָ֥ר לְכֻלָּֽם׃ cMeaning of verse uncertain. For when trappers dug deep pitfalls,
I was the only reprover of them all.
אֲנִי֙ יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹא־נִכְחַ֣ד מִמֶּ֑נִּי כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ הִזְנֵ֣יתָ אֶפְרַ֔יִם נִטְמָ֖א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Yes, I have watched Ephraim,
Israel has not escaped my notice:
Behold, you have fornicated, O Ephraim;
Israel has defiled himself!
לֹ֤א יִתְּנוּ֙ מַ֣עַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם לָשׁ֖וּב אֶל־אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם כִּ֣י ר֤וּחַ זְנוּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם וְאֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה לֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃ Their habits do not let them
Turn back to their God;
Because of the lecherous impulse within them,
They pay no heed to GOD.
וְעָנָ֥ה גְאֽוֹן־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָנָ֑יו וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל וְאֶפְרַ֗יִם יִכָּֽשְׁלוּ֙ בַּעֲוֺנָ֔ם כָּשַׁ֥ל גַּם־יְהוּדָ֖ה עִמָּֽם׃ Israel’s pride shall be humbled before his very eyes,
As Israel and Ephraim fall because of their sin
(And Judah falls with them).
בְּצֹאנָ֣ם וּבִבְקָרָ֗ם יֵ֥לְכ֛וּ לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָ֑אוּ חָלַ֖ץ מֵהֶֽם׃ Then they will go with their sheep and cattle
To seek GOD—whom they will not find.dIsrael’s pride … will not find This passage would read well after 5.15; cf. 5.6 with 6.6.
They have been cast off:eThey have been cast off Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
בַּיהֹוָ֣ה בָּגָ֔דוּ כִּי־בָנִ֥ים זָרִ֖ים יָלָ֑דוּ עַתָּ֛ה יֹאכְלֵ֥ם חֹ֖דֶשׁ אֶת־חֶלְקֵיהֶֽם׃ {ס} [Because] they have broken faith with GOD,
Because they havefthey have Emendation yields “[God] has.” begotten
Alien children.
Therefore, the new moon
Shall devour their portion.gTherefore, the new moon / Shall devour their portion Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
תִּקְע֤וּ שׁוֹפָר֙ בַּגִּבְעָ֔ה חֲצֹצְרָ֖ה בָּרָמָ֑ה הָרִ֙יעוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ בִּנְיָמִֽין׃ Sound a ram’s horn in Gibeah,
A trumpet in Ramah;
Give the alarm in Beth-aven;hGibeah…Ramah…Beth-aven The three towns named, in the territory of Benjamin, are now being wrested from Israel by Judah; see v. 10. On the latter town’s name, see second note at 4.15.
After you,iAfter you Emendation yields “Stir up.” Benjamin!
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה בְּי֖וֹם תּוֹכֵחָ֑ה בְּשִׁבְטֵי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הוֹדַ֖עְתִּי נֶאֱמָנָֽה׃ Ephraim is stricken with horror
On a day of chastisement.
Against the tribesjtribes I.e., the kingdoms of Judah and Israel (represented by Ephraim). of Israel
I proclaim certainties:
הָיוּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כְּמַסִּיגֵ֖י גְּב֑וּל עֲלֵיהֶ֕ם אֶשְׁפּ֥וֹךְ כַּמַּ֖יִם עֶבְרָתִֽי׃ The officers of Judah have acted
Like shifters of field boundaries;
On them I will pour out
My wrath like water.
עָשׁ֥וּק אֶפְרַ֖יִם רְצ֣וּץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֣י הוֹאִ֔יל הָלַ֖ךְ אַחֲרֵי־צָֽו׃ Ephraim is defrauded,
Robbed of redress,
Because he has witlessly
Gone after futility.kfutility Cf. Targum and Septuagint; but meaning of Heb. uncertain.
וַאֲנִ֥י כָעָ֖שׁ לְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְכָרָקָ֖ב לְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃ For it is I who am like rot to Ephraim,
Like decay to the House of Judah;lJudah Emendation yields “Israel.”
וַיַּ֨רְא אֶפְרַ֜יִם אֶת־חׇלְי֗וֹ וִֽיהוּדָה֙ אֶת־מְזֹר֔וֹ וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ אֶל־אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יָרֵ֑ב וְה֗וּא לֹ֤א יוּכַל֙ לִרְפֹּ֣א לָכֶ֔ם וְלֹא־יִגְהֶ֥ה מִכֶּ֖ם מָזֽוֹר׃ Yet when Ephraim became aware of his sickness,
JudahmJudah See note at v. 12. of his sores,
Ephraim repaired to Assyria—
He sent envoys to a patronnpatron Compare the verb ryb in the sense of “to champion, uphold the cause of,” in Isa. 1.17; 3.13; 19.20 end; 51.22. king!
He will never be able to cure you,
Will not heal you of your sores.
כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֤י כַשַּׁ֙חַל֙ לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם וְכַכְּפִ֖יר לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲנִ֨י אֲנִ֤י אֶטְרֹף֙ וְאֵלֵ֔ךְ אֶשָּׂ֖א וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּֽיל׃ No, I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
Like a great beast to the House of Judah;oJudah See note at v. 12.
I, I will attack and stride away,
Carrying the prey that no one can rescue;
אֵלֵ֤ךְ אָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אֶל־מְקוֹמִ֔י עַ֥ד אֲשֶֽׁר־יֶאְשְׁמ֖וּ וּבִקְשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י בַּצַּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם יְשַׁחֲרֻֽנְנִי׃ And I will return to My abode—
Till they realize their guilt.
In their distress, they will seek Me
And beg for My favor.