Study Desk

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]