Study Desk

Put the horn to your mouth!^(a) One like an eagle comes against the house of the Lord ,^(b) because they transgress My covenant^(c) and rebel against My law.^(d)

Israel cries out to Me,^(e) "My God, we know You!"

Israel has rejected what is good;^(f) an enemy will pursue him.

They have installed kings,^(g) but not through Me. They have appointed leaders, but without My approval. They make their silver and gold^(h) into idols for themselves for their own destruction.^[a]

Your calf-idol^[b](i) is rejected, Samaria.^(j) My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?^(k)

For this thing is from Israel— a craftsman made it,^(l) and it is not God. The calf of Samaria will be smashed to bits!

Indeed, they sow the wind^(m) and reap the whirlwind.⁽ⁿ⁾ There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour.^(o) Even if they did, foreigners would swallow it up.

Israel is swallowed up!^(p) Now they are among the nations like discarded pottery.^(q)

For they have gone up to Assyria^(r) like a wild donkey going off on its own. Ephraim has paid for love.^(s)

Even though they hire lovers among the nations, I will now round them up, and they will begin to decrease in number^(t) under the burden of the king and leaders.^(u)

When Ephraim multiplied his altars for sin,^(v) they became his altars for sinning.

Though I were to write out for him ten thousand points of My instruction,^(w) they would be^[c] regarded as something strange.

Though they offer sacrificial gifts^[d](x) and eat the flesh,^(y) the Lord does not accept them. Now He will remember their guilt^(z) and punish their sins;^(aa) they will return to Egypt.^(ab)

Israel has forgotten his Maker^(ac) and built palaces;^(ad) Judah has also multiplied fortified cities. I will send fire on their cities,^(ae) and it will consume their citadels.

Israel, do not rejoice jubilantly as the nations do,^(a) for you have acted promiscuously,^(b) leaving your God. You have loved the wages of a prostitute on every grain-threshing floor.^(c)

Threshing floor and wine vat will not sustain them,^(d) and the new wine will fail them.

They will not stay in the land of the Lord . Instead, Ephraim will return to Egypt,^(e) and they will eat unclean food^(f) in Assyria.^(g)

They will not pour out their wine offerings to the Lord ,^(h) and their sacrifices will not please Him. Their food will be like the bread of mourners; all who eat it become defiled.⁽ⁱ⁾ For their bread will be for their appetites alone; it will not enter the house of the Lord .

What will you do on a festival day,^(j) on the day of the Lord 's feast?^(k)

For even if they flee from devastation, Egypt will gather them, and Memphis will bury them.^(l) Thistles will take possession of their precious silver; thorns will invade their tents.^(m)

The days of punishment have come;⁽ⁿ⁾ the days of retribution have come.^(o) Let Israel recognize it! The prophet is a fool,^(p) and the inspired man is insane,^(q) because of the magnitude of your guilt and hostility.^(r)

Ephraim's watchman is with my God. The prophet encounters a fowler's snare on all his ways.^(s) Hostility is in the house of his God!

They have deeply corrupted themselves^(t) as in the days of Gibeah.^(u) He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.^(v)

I discovered Israel like grapes in the wilderness.^(w) I saw your fathers like the first fruit of the fig tree in its first season.^(x) But they went to Baal-peor,^(y) consecrated themselves to Shame,^[a](z) and became detestable,^(aa) like the thing they loved.

Ephraim's glory will fly away like a bird:^(ab) no birth, no gestation, no conception.^(ac)

Even if they raise children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!^(ad)

I have seen Ephraim like Tyre,^(ae) planted in a meadow, so Ephraim will bring out his children to the executioner.

Give them, Lord — What should You give? Give them a womb that miscarries and breasts that are dry!^(af)

All their evil appears at Gilgal,^(ag) for there I came to hate them. I will drive them from My house because of their evil, wicked actions.^(ah) I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.^(ai)

Ephraim^(aj) is struck down; their roots are withered; they cannot bear fruit.^(ak) Even if they bear children, I will kill the precious offspring of their wombs.^(al)

My God will reject them because they have not listened to Him;^(am) they will become wanderers among the nations.^(an)

Israel is a lush^[a] vine;^(a) it yields fruit for itself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars.^(b) The better his land produced, the better they made the sacred pillars.^(c)

Their hearts are devious;^[b](d) now they must bear their guilt.^(e) The Lord will break down their altars^(f) and demolish their sacred pillars.

In fact, they are now saying, "We have no king! For we do not fear the Lord .^(g) What can a king do for us?"

They speak mere words, taking false oaths while making covenants.^(h) So lawsuits break out like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.⁽ⁱ⁾

The residents of Samaria^(j) will have anxiety over the calf^(k) of Beth-aven.^(l) Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it; the people will mourn over it, over its glory.^(m) It will certainly depart from them.

The calf itself will be taken to Assyria⁽ⁿ⁾ as an offering to the great king.^[c](o) Ephraim will experience shame;^(p) Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.^(q)

Samaria's king will disappear^[d](r) like foam^[e] on the surface of the water.

The high places^(s) of Aven, the sin of Israel,^(t) will be destroyed; thorns and thistles will grow over their altars.^(u) They will say to the mountains,^(v) "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!"^(w)

Israel, you have sinned since the days of Gibeah;^(x) they have taken their stand there. Will not war against the unjust overtake them in Gibeah?

I will discipline^(y) them at My discretion;^(z) nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage^[f] for their two crimes.^(aa)

Ephraim is a well-trained calf^(ab) that loves to thresh, but I will place a yoke on^[g] her fine neck.^(ac) I will harness Ephraim;^(ad) Judah will plow; Jacob will do the final plowing.

Sow righteousness for yourselves^(ae) and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground.^(af) It is time to seek the Lord ^(ag) until He comes^(ah) and sends righteousness on you like the rain.^(ai)

You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice;^(aj) you have eaten the fruit of lies.^(ak) Because you have trusted in your own way^[h] and in your large number of soldiers,^(al)

the roar of battle will rise against your people, and all your fortifications will be demolished^(am) in a day of war, like Shalman's destruction of Beth-arbel. Mothers will be dashed to pieces along with their children.^(an)

So it will be done to you, Bethel,^(ao) because of your extreme evil. At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.

When Israel was a child, I loved him,^(a) and out of Egypt I called My son.^(b)

The more they^[a] called them,^[b](c) the more they^[c] departed from Me.^[d] They kept sacrificing to the Baals^(d) and burning offerings to idols.^(e)

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,^(f) taking them^[e] in My arms,^(g) but they never knew that I healed them.^(h)

I led them with human cords, with ropes of love.⁽ⁱ⁾ To them I was like one who eases the yoke from their jaws;^(j) I bent down to give them food.^(k)

Israel will not return to the land of Egypt and Assyria will be his king,^(l) because they refused to repent.^(m)

A sword will whirl through his cities;⁽ⁿ⁾ it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates,^[f](o) because of their schemes.^(p)

My people are bent on turning from Me.^(q) Though they call to Him on high, He will not exalt them at all.

How can I give you up, Ephraim?^(r) How can I surrender you, Israel? How can I make you like Admah?^(s) How can I treat you like Zeboiim?^(t) I have had a change of heart; My compassion is stirred!

I will not vent the full fury of My anger;^(u) I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim.^(v) For I am God and not man, the Holy One among you;^(w) I will not come in rage.^[g]

They will follow the Lord ;^(x) He will roar like a lion.^(y) When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.^(z)

They will be roused like birds from Egypt and like doves^(aa) from the land of Assyria.^(ab) Then I will settle them in their homes.^(ac) This is the Lord 's declaration.

^[h] Ephraim surrounds me with lies,^(ad) the house of Israel, with deceit. Judah still wanders with God and is faithful to the holy ones.^[i][j]

Ephraim chases^[a] the wind^(a) and pursues the east wind.^(b) He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria,^(c) and olive oil is carried to Egypt.^(d)

The Lord also has a dispute with Judah. He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways;^(e) He will repay him based on his actions.

In the womb he grasped his brother's heel,^(f) and as an adult he wrestled with God.^(g)

Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor.^(h) He found him^[b] at Bethel,⁽ⁱ⁾ and there He spoke with him.^[c](j)

Yahweh is the God of Hosts; Yahweh is His name.^(k)

But you must return to your God.^(l) Maintain love and justice,^(m) and always put your hope in God.⁽ⁿ⁾

A merchant loves to extort^(o) with dishonest scales in his hands.^(p)

But Ephraim says: "How rich I have become;^(q) I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any crime in me^(r) that I can be punished for!"^[d]

I have been Yahweh your God ever since^[e] the land of Egypt.^(s) I will make you live in tents again,^(t) as in the festival days.

I spoke through the prophets^(u) and granted many visions; I gave parables through the prophets.^(v)

Since Gilead is full of evil,^(w) they will certainly come to nothing. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;^(x) even their altars will be like heaps of rocks^(y) on the furrows of a field.

Jacob fled to the land of Aram.^(z) Israel worked to earn a wife;^(aa) he tended flocks for a wife.^(ab)

The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet,^(ac) and Israel was tended by a prophet.

Ephraim has provoked bitter anger,^(ad) so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him^(ae) and repay him for his contempt.^(af)

When Ephraim spoke,^(a) there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel.^(b) But he incurred guilt through Baal^(c) and died.

Now they continue to sin and make themselves a cast image,^(d) idols skillfully made from their silver,^(e) all of them the work of craftsmen.^(f) People say about them, "Let the men who sacrifice^[a] kiss the calves."^(g)

Therefore, they will be like the morning mist,^(h) like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor,⁽ⁱ⁾ or like smoke from a window.^(j)

I have been Yahweh your God^(k) ever since^[b] the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me,^(l) and no Savior exists besides Me.^(m)

I knew^[c] you in the wilderness,⁽ⁿ⁾ in the land of drought.

When they had pasture, they became satisfied;^(o) they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud.^(p) Therefore they forgot Me.^(q)

So I will be like a lion^(r) to them; I will lurk like a leopard^(s) on the path.

I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs and tear open the rib cage over their hearts. I will devour them there like a lioness,^(t) like a wild beast that would rip them open.

I will destroy you, Israel; you have no help but Me.^[d](u)

Where now is your king,^[e](v) that he may save you in all your cities, and the^[f] rulers^[g](w) you demanded, saying, "Give me a king and leaders"?

I give you a king in My anger^(x) and take away a king in My wrath.^(y)

Ephraim's guilt is preserved; his sin is stored up.^(z)

Labor pains come on him.^(aa) He is not a wise son;^(ab) when the time comes, he will not be born.^[h](ac)

I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem^[i] them from death.^(ad) Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting?^(ae) Compassion is hidden from My eyes.^(af)

Although he flourishes among his brothers,^[j](ag) an east wind will come,^(ah) a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. His water source will fail, and his spring will run dry.^(ai) The wind^[k] will plunder the treasury^(aj) of every precious item.

^[l]Samaria^(ak) will bear her guilt^(al) because she has rebelled against her God.^(am) They will fall by the sword;^(an) their little ones will be dashed to pieces,^(ao) and their pregnant women ripped open.^(ap)

Israel, return to Yahweh your God,^(a) for you have stumbled in your sin.^(b)

Take words of repentance with you^(c) and return to the Lord . Say to Him: "Forgive all our sin and accept what is good, so that we may repay You with praise^[a] from our^[b] lips.^(d)

Assyria will not save us,^(e) we will not ride on horses,^(f) and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods!'^(g) to the work of our hands.^(h) For the fatherless receives compassion in You."⁽ⁱ⁾

I will heal their apostasy;^(j) I will freely love them,^(k) for My anger will have turned from him.^(l)

I will be like the dew to Israel;^(m) he will blossom like the lily⁽ⁿ⁾ and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.^(o)

His new branches will spread, and his splendor will be like the olive tree,^(p) his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon.^(q)

The people will return and live beneath his shade.^(r) They will grow grain^(s) and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, why should I^[c] have anything more to do with idols?^(t) It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing pine tree;^(u) your fruit comes from Me.^(v)

Let whoever is wise^(w) understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the Lord are right,^(x) and the righteous walk in them,^(y) but the rebellious stumble in them.^(z)