# Hosea 5.15

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [Hosea](/codex/hosea/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim 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 unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver.
>
> **15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.** (Hosea 5:13-15, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 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.”** (Hosea 5:13-15, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. <sup>king Jareb: or, the king of Jareb: or, the king that should plead</sup> 14. For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
>
> **15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. <sup>acknowledge: Heb. be guilty</sup>** (Hosea 5:13-15, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 13. And see doth Ephraim his sickness, and Judah his wound, And Ephraim goeth unto Asshur, And sendeth unto a warlike king, And he is not able to give healing to you, Nor doth he remove from you a scar. 14. For I [am] as a lion to Ephraim, And as a young lion to the house of Judah, I, I tear and go, I bear away, and there is no deliverer.
>
> **15. I go, I turn back unto My place, Till that they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they do seek Me speedily!'** (Hosea 5:13-15, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Hosea + LORD direct discourse
- **Audience:** Northern Kingdom of Israel before fall to Assyria
- **Location:** Northern Kingdom
- **Time period:** ministry c. 753-715 BC

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [H7725 - shuv](/codex/h7725-shuv/), *shuv* (Strong's H7725). Also appears in: [Genesis 3](/codex/genesis-3/), [Genesis 15.16](/codex/genesis-15-16/), [Genesis 16.7-13](/codex/genesis-16-7-13/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.