¶The .v. Chapter.
1 Against the priestes and rulers of Israel. 13 The helpe of man is in vayne.
[unspec A] 1 O Ye priestes heare this, take heede O thou housholde of Israel, geue eare O thou house of the king, for iudgement [is] against you, because you are become as a snare on Mizphah, and a spread net vpon the mount of Thabor.
2 They kyll sacrifices by heapes, and turne farre from the Lord, and I haue ben a rebuker of them all.
3 * 1.1I knowe Ephraim well inough, and Israel is not hid fro me: for nowe O Ephraim thou art become an harlot, and Israel is defiled.
4 They wyll not geue their myndes to turne vnto their God: for the spirite of fornication [is] in the middest of them, and they haue not knowen the Lorde.
5 * 1.2And the pryde of Israel doth testifie to his face: therefore both Israel and Ephraim shal fal for their wickednesse, and Iuda with them also.
6 * 1.3They shall come with their sheepe and bullockes * 1.4to seeke the Lorde, but they shall not finde hym: for he is gone from them.
7 They haue transgressed against the Lorde, and brought vp bastarde chyl∣dren: a moneth therefore shall deuour them, with their portions.
8 Blowe with the shawmes at Gibea, [unspec B] and with the trumpet in Ramah, crye out at Bethauen, after thee O Benia∣min.
9 In the tyme of the plague shall E∣phraim be layde waste: in the tribes of Israel haue I shewed the trueth.
10 The princes of Iuda haue ben lyke them * 1.5 that remoue the lande markes: therefore wyll I powre out my wrath vpon them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in iudgement, because he wyllyngly fo∣lowed the commaundement.
12 Therefore wyll I be vnto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Iuda as a caterpiller.
13 When Ephraim sawe his sicknesse, and Iuda his disease, * 1.6Ephraim went vnto Assur, and sent vnto kyng Iareb, yet coulde not he helpe you, nor ease you of your payne.
14 I wyll be vnto Ephraim as a lion, and as a lions whelpe to the house of Iuda: I [euen] I wyll spoyle, and go my away: I wyll take away, and no man shall rescue.
15 I wyll go and returne to my place, tyll they knowledge that they haue sin∣ned and seeke me. In their aduersitie they shall(a) 1.7 early seeke me.