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Minor Prophets · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Hosea 5

A wounded marriage becomes a sign of covenant betrayal and God's persistent love.

Old Testament

Hosea 5

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.

2The rebels are deep in slaughter, but I discipline all of them.

3I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, Ephraim, you have played the prostitute. Israel is defiled.

4Their deeds won’t allow them to turn to their God, for the spirit of prostitution is within them, and they don’t know the LORD.

5The pride of Israel testifies to his face. Therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity. Judah also will stumble with them.

6They will go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD, but they won’t find him. He has withdrawn himself from them.

7They are unfaithful to the LORD; 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!

9Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel, I have made known that which will surely be.

10The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark. I will pour out my wrath on them like water.

11Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment, because he is intent in his pursuit of idols.

12Therefore 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.

14For 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.

15I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me earnestly.”

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

A wounded marriage becomes a sign of covenant betrayal and God's persistent love. Read Hosea 5 within the complete Hosea overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Hosea 5

Hosea 5 contains 15 verses and about 344 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: ““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…” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 15 closes: “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.”” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, ephraim, israel, like, judah, house. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Hosea 5

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Hosea 5:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer