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¹ When my desire was for the fate of my people to be changed and to make Israel well, then the sin of Ephraim was made clear, and the evil-doing of Samaria; for their ways are false, and the thief comes into the house, while the band of outlaws takes property by force in the streets.² And they do not say to themselves that I keep in mind all their sin; now their evil acts come round them on every side; they are before my face.³ In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.⁴ They are all untrue; they are like a burning oven; the bread-maker does not make up the fire from the time when the paste is mixed till it is leavened.⁵ On the day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.⁶ For they have made their hearts ready like an oven, while they are waiting secretly; their wrath is sleeping all night; in the morning it is burning like a flaming fire.⁷ They are all heated like an oven, and they put an end to their judges; all their kings have been made low; not one among them makes prayer to me.

⁸ Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.⁹ Men from other lands have made waste his strength, and he is not conscious of it; grey hairs have come on him here and there, and he has no knowledge of it.¹⁰ And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; but for all this, they have not gone back to the Lord their God, or made search for him.¹¹ And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to Egypt, they go to Assyria.¹² When they go, my net will be stretched out over them; I will take them like the birds of heaven, I will give them punishment, I will take them away in the net for their sin.¹³ May trouble be theirs! for they have gone far away from me; and destruction, for they have been sinning against me; I was ready to be their saviour, but they said false words against me.¹⁴ And they have not made prayer to me in their hearts, but they make loud cries on their beds; they are cutting themselves for food and wine, they are turned against me.¹⁵ Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.¹⁶ They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.