Judgment on Israel and Judah

1  שִׁמְעוּ־ (Hear) זֹ֨את (this), הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים (O priests);

וְהַקְשִׁ֣יבוּ׀ (and pay attention), בֵּ֣ית (O house) יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (of Israel);

וּבֵ֤ית (and house) הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (of the king); הַאֲזִ֔ינוּ (turn your ear),

כִּ֥י (Indeed) לָכֶ֖ם (unto you⁺ is) הַמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט (the judgment)

כִּֽי־ (because) פַח֙ (a snare) הֱיִיתֶ֣ם (you⁺ have been) לְמִצְפָּ֔ה (at Mizpah),

וְרֶ֖שֶׁת (and a net) פְּרוּשָׂ֥ה (spread out) עַל־ (on) תָּבֽוֹר׃ (Tabor).

2  וְשַׁחֲטָ֥ה (And into slaughter), שֵׂטִ֖ים (the rebels) הֶעְמִ֑יקוּ (are deep)

וַאֲנִ֖י (and I) מוּסָ֥ר (will discipline) לְכֻלָּֽם׃ (all of them).

3  אֲנִי֙ (I) יָדַ֣עְתִּי (know) אֶפְרַ֔יִם (Ephraim),

וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (and Israel) לֹֽא־ (not) נִכְחַ֣ד (is hidden) מִמֶּ֑נִּי (from Me)

כִּ֤י (for) עַתָּה֙ (now), הִזְנֵ֣יתָ (you engage in prositution),

אֶפְרַ֔יִם (O Ephraim),

נִטְמָ֖א (is defiled) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (Israel).

4  לֹ֤א (Not) יִתְּנוּ֙ (permit them) מַ֣עַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם (their deeds)

לָשׁ֖וּב (to return) אֶל־ (to) אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם (their God).

כִּ֣י (For) ר֤וּחַ (the spirit) זְנוּנִים֙ (of prostitution) בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם (is within them)

וְאֶת־ (and) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) לֹ֥א (not) יָדָֽעוּ׃ (they do know).

5  וְעָנָ֥ה (And answers) גְאֽוֹן־ (the pride) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (of Israel) בְּפָנָ֑יו (to his face);

וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל (and Israel) וְאֶפְרַ֗יִם (and Ephraim) יִכָּֽשְׁלוּ֙ (stumble) בַּעֲוֺנָ֔ם (in their iniquity);

כָּשַׁ֥ל (stumbles) גַּם־ (also) יְהוּדָ֖ה (Judah) עִמָּֽם׃ (with them).

6  בְּצֹאנָ֣ם (With their flocks) וּבִבְקָרָ֗ם (and herds) יֵֽלְכ֛וּ (they will go)

לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ (to seek) אֶת־ (-) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH);

וְלֹ֣א (not) יִמְצָ֑אוּ (they will find)

חָלַ֖ץ (He has withdrawn) מֵהֶֽם׃ (from them).

7  בַּיהוָ֣ה (To YHWH), בָּגָ֔דוּ (they were unfaithful)

כִּֽי־ (for) בָנִ֥ים (sons). זָרִ֖ים (Strange) יָלָ֑דוּ (they have borne)

עַתָּ֛ה (now) יֹאכְלֵ֥ם (will devour them) חֹ֖דֶשׁ (the New Moon)

אֶת־ (with) חֶלְקֵיהֶֽם׃ס (their portions).

8  תִּקְע֤וּ (Blow) שׁוֹפָר֙ (the shofar) בַּגִּבְעָ֔ה (in Gibeah),

חֲצֹצְרָ֖ה (the trumpet) בָּרָמָ֑ה (in Ramah).

הָרִ֙יעוּ֙ (Give a shout) בֵּ֣ית (in Beth-) אָ֔וֶן (Aven),

אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ (after you) בִּנְיָמִֽין׃ (O Benjamin).

9  אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ (Ephraim) לְשַׁמָּ֣ה (as a desolation) תִֽהְיֶ֔ה (will become)

בְּי֖וֹם (on the day) תּֽוֹכֵחָ֑ה (of rebuke);

בְּשִׁבְטֵי֙ (among the tribes) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel)

הוֹדַ֖עְתִּי (I make known) נֶאֱמָנָֽה׃ (what is sure).

10  הָיוּ֙ (Have become) שָׂרֵ֣י (the princes) יְהוּדָ֔ה (of Judah)

כְּמַסִּיגֵ֖י (like those moving) גְּב֑וּל (a landmark);

עֲלֵיהֶ֕ם (on them) אֶשְׁפּ֥וֹךְ (I will pour out)

כַּמַּ֖יִם (like the waters) עֶבְרָתִֽי׃ (my wrath).

11  עָשׁ֥וּק (Is oppressed) אֶפְרַ֖יִם (Ephraim) רְצ֣וּץ (crushed) מִשְׁפָּ֑ט (in judgment),

כִּ֣י (because) הוֹאִ֔יל (he was willing) הָלַ֖ךְ (to walk) אַחֲרֵי־ (after) צָֽו׃ (worthless idols).

12  וַאֲנִ֥י (And I am) כָעָ֖שׁ (like a moth), לְאֶפְרָ֑יִם (to Ephraim)

וְכָרָקָ֖ב (and like rot) לְבֵ֥ית (to the house) יְהוּדָֽה׃ (of Judah).

13  וַיַּ֨רְא (When saw) אֶפְרַ֜יִם (Ephraim) אֶת־ (-) חָלְי֗וֹ (his sickness),

וִֽיהוּדָה֙ (and Judah saw) אֶת־ (-) מְזֹר֔וֹ (his wound),

וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ (and went) אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ (Ephraim) אֶל־ (to) אַשּׁ֔וּר (Assyria),

וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח (and he sent) אֶל־ (to) מֶ֣לֶךְ (the king) יָרֵ֑ב (great).

וְה֗וּא (And he) לֹ֤א (not) יוּכַל֙ (is able) לִרְפֹּ֣א (to bring healing) לָכֶ֔ם (to you⁺)

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יִגְהֶ֥ה (can he remove) מִכֶּ֖ם (of you⁺) מָזֽוֹר׃ (the wound).

14  כִּ֣י (For) אָנֹכִ֤י (I) כַשַּׁ֙חַל֙ (am like a lion), לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם (to Ephraim)

וְכַכְּפִ֖יר (and like a young lion) לְבֵ֣ית (to the house) יְהוּדָ֑ה (of Judah).

אֲנִ֨י (I) אֲנִ֤י (I), אֶטְרֹף֙ (will tear them)

וְאֵלֵ֔ךְ (and go away);

אֶשָּׂ֖א (I will take them),

וְאֵ֥ין (and no one) מַצִּֽיל׃ (is delivering).

15  אֵלֵ֤ךְ (I will go) אָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ (I will turn back) אֶל־ (to) מְקוֹמִ֔י (My place),

עַ֥ד (until) אֲשֶֽׁר־ (that) יֶאְשְׁמ֖וּ (they acknowledge their guilt), וּבִקְשׁ֣וּ (and seek) פָנָ֑י (My face);

בַּצַּ֥ר (in affliction) לָהֶ֖ם (for them) יְשַׁחֲרֻֽנְנִי׃ (they will earnestly seek Me).