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¹ "Hear this, O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, || And, O house of the king, give ear, || For the judgment [is] for you, || For you have been a snare on Mizpah, || And a net spread out on Tabor.² And to slaughter sinners have gone deep, || And I [am] a chain to them all.³ I have known Ephraim, || And Israel has not been hid from Me, || For now you have gone whoring, Ephraim, || Israel is defiled.⁴ They do not give up their habitual doings, || To turn back to their God, || For a spirit of whoredoms [is] in their midst, || And YHWH they have not known.⁵ And humbled has been the excellence of Israel to his face, || And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, || Judah has also stumbled with them.⁶ With their flock and with their herd, || They go to seek YHWH, and do not find, || He has withdrawn from them.⁷ Against YHWH they dealt treacherously, || For they have begotten strange sons, || Now a month consumes them [with] their portions.

⁸ Blow a horn in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, || Shout, O Beth-Aven, after you, O Benjamin.⁹ Ephraim is for a desolation in a day of reproof, || I have made known a sure thing among the tribes of Israel.¹⁰ Princes of Judah have been as those removing a border, || I pour out My wrath as water on them.¹¹ Ephraim is oppressed, broken in judgment, || When he pleased he went after the command.¹² And I [am] as a moth to Ephraim, || And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.¹³ And Ephraim sees his sickness, and Judah his wound, || And Ephraim goes to Asshur, || And sends to a warlike king, || And he is not able to give healing to you, || Nor does he remove a scar from you.¹⁴ For I [am] as a lion to Ephraim, || And as a young lion to the house of Judah, I tear and go, || I carry away, and there is no deliverer.¹⁵ I go—I return to My place, || Until they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they seek Me speedily!"