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¹ For Effraym spak, hidousnesse assailide Israel; and he trespasside in Baal, and was deed.² And now thei addiden to do synne, and maden to hem a yotun ymage of her siluer, as the licnesse of idols; al is the makyng of crafti men. To these thei seien, A! ye men, offre, and worschipe caluys.³ Therfor thei schulen be as a morewtid cloude, and as the deew of morewtid, that passith forth, as dust rauyschide bi whirlewynd fro the corn floor, and as smoke of a chymenei.⁴ Forsothe Y am thi Lord God, `that ledde thee fro the loond of Egipt; and thou schalt not knowe God, outakun me, and no sauyour is, outakun me.

⁵ Y knewe thee in the desert, in the lond of wildirnesse.⁶ Bi her lesewis thei weren fillid, and hadden abundaunce; thei reisiden her herte, and foryaten me.⁷ And Y schal be as a lionesse to hem, as a parde in the weye of Assiriens.⁸ Y as a femal bere, whanne the whelps ben rauyschid, schal mete hem; and schal al to-breke the ynnere thingis of the mawe of hem. And Y as a lioun schal waaste hem there; a beeste of the feeld schal al to-rende hem.

⁹ Israel, thi perdicioun is of thee; thin help is oneli of me.¹⁰ Where is thi kyng? moost saue he thee now in alle thi citees; and where ben thi iugis, of whiche thou seidist, Yyue thou to me a kyng, and princes?¹¹ Y schal yyue to thee a kyng in my strong veniaunce, and Y schal take awei in myn indignacioun.¹² The wickidnesse of Effraym is boundun togidere; his synne is hid.¹³ The sorewis of a womman trauelynge of child schulen come to hym; he is a sone not wijs. For now he schal not stonde in the defoulyng of sones.¹⁴ Y schal delyuere hem fro the hoond of deeth, and Y schal ayenbie hem fro deth. Thou deth, Y schal be thi deth; thou helle, Y schal be thi mussel.¹⁵ Coumfort is hid fro myn iyen, for he schal departe bitwixe britheren. The Lord schal brynge a brennynge wynd, stiynge fro desert; and it schal make drie the veynes therof, and it schal make desolat the welle therof; and he schal rauysche the tresour of ech desirable vessel.¹⁶ Samarie perische, for it stiride his God to bittirnesse; perische it bi swerd. The litle children of hem be hurtlid doun, and the wymmen with child therof be koruun.