aWhen Ephraim 1spoke
, there was trembling
. He bexalted
himself
in Israel
, But through cBaal
he 2did
wrong
and died
.
And now they sin
more
and more
, And make
for themselves amolten
images
, Idols
1 bskillfully
made from their silver
, All
of them the cwork
of craftsmen
. They say
of them, "Let the 2men
who sacrifice
kiss
the dcalves
!"
Therefore they will be like the amorning
cloud
And like dew
which 1soon
disappears
, Like bchaff
which is blown
away
from the threshing
floor
And like csmoke
from a 2chimney
.
Yet I have been the aLORD your God
Since
the land
of Egypt
; And you were not to know
bany god
except
Me, For there
is no
savior
cbesides
Me.
I 1 acared for you in the wilderness
, bIn the land
of drought
.
As they had their pasture, they became
asatisfied
, And being
satisfied
, their bheart
became
proud
; Therefore
they cforgot
Me.
So I will be alike a lion
to them; Like a bleopard
I will 1lie
in wait
by the wayside
.
I will encounter them alike a bear
robbed
of her cubs
, And I will tear
open 1their chests
; There
I will also bdevour
them like a lioness
, As a wild
beast
would tear
them.
It is your destruction, O Israel
, 1That you are aagainst Me, against your bhelp
.
Where now
is your aking
That he may save
you in all
your cities
, And your bjudges
of whom
you 1requested
, "Give
me a king
and princes
"?
I agave you a king
in My anger
And btook
him away in My wrath
.
The iniquity of Ephraim
is bound
up; His sin
is astored
up.
The pains of achildbirth
come
upon him; He is bnot a wise
son
, For 1it is not the time
that he should cdelay
at the opening
of the womb
.
Shall I aransom them from the 1power
of Sheol
? Shall I redeem
them from death
? bO Death
, where
are your thorns
? O Sheol
, where
is your sting
? cCompassion
will be hidden
from My sight
.
Though he aflourishes
among
the 1reeds
, An beast
wind
will come
, The wind
of the LORD
coming
up from the wilderness
; And his fountain
will cbecome
dry
And his spring
will be dried
up; It will dplunder
his treasury
of every
precious
article
.
1Samaria will be held
aguilty
, For she has brebelled
against her God
. cThey will fall
by the dsword
, Their little
ones
will be edashed
in pieces
, And their pregnant
fwomen
will be ripped
open
.