Study Desk

Do not rejoice, Israel; do not be jubilant^(a) like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful^(b) to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute^(c) at every threshing floor.

Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people; the new wine^(d) will fail them.

They will not remain^(e) in the Lord 's land; Ephraim will return to Egypt^(f) and eat unclean food in Assyria.^(g)

They will not pour out wine offerings^(h) to the Lord , nor will their sacrifices please⁽ⁱ⁾ him. Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners;^(j) all who eat them will be unclean.^(k) This food will be for themselves; it will not come into the temple of the Lord .^(l)

What will you do^(m) on the day of your appointed festivals,⁽ⁿ⁾ on the feast days of the Lord ?

Even if they escape from destruction, Egypt will gather them,^(o) and Memphis^(p) will bury them.^(q) Their treasures of silver^(r) will be taken over by briers, and thorns^(s) will overrun their tents.

The days of punishment^(t) are coming, the days of reckoning^(u) are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins^(v) are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool,^(w) the inspired person a maniac.^(x)

The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim,^[a] yet snares^(y) await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.^(z)

They have sunk deep into corruption,^(aa) as in the days of Gibeah.^(ab) God will remember^(ac) their wickedness and punish them for their sins.^(ad)

"When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit^(ae) on the fig^(af) tree. But when they came to Baal Peor,^(ag) they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol^(ah) and became as vile as the thing they loved.

Ephraim's glory^(ai) will fly away like a bird^(aj)— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.^(ak)

Even if they rear children, I will bereave^(al) them of every one. Woe^(am) to them when I turn away from them!^(an)

I have seen Ephraim,^(ao) like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place.^(ap) But Ephraim will bring out their children to the slayer."^(aq)

Give them, Lord — what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that are dry.^(ar)

"Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,^(as) I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds,^(at) I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them;^(au) all their leaders are rebellious.^(av)

Ephraim^(aw) is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit.^(ax) Even if they bear children, I will slay^(ay) their cherished offspring."

My God will reject^(az) them because they have not obeyed^(ba) him; they will be wanderers among the nations.^(bb)

Israel was a spreading vine;^(a) he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars;^(b) as his land prospered,^(c) he adorned his sacred stones.^(d)

Their heart is deceitful,^(e) and now they must bear their guilt.^(f) The Lord will demolish their altars^(g) and destroy their sacred stones.^(h)

Then they will say, "We have no king because we did not revere the Lord . But even if we had a king, what could he do for us?"

They make many promises, take false oaths⁽ⁱ⁾ and make agreements;^(j) therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds^(k) in a plowed field.

The people who live in Samaria fear for the calf-idol^(l) of Beth Aven.^[a](m) Its people will mourn over it, and so will its idolatrous priests,⁽ⁿ⁾ those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is taken from them into exile.^(o)

It will be carried to Assyria^(p) as tribute^(q) for the great king.^(r) Ephraim will be disgraced;^(s) Israel will be ashamed^(t) of its foreign alliances.

Samaria's king will be destroyed,^(u) swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.

The high places^(v) of wickedness^[b](w) will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel. Thorns^(x) and thistles will grow up and cover their altars.^(y) Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!"^(z) and to the hills, "Fall on us!"^(aa)

"Since the days of Gibeah,^(ab) you have sinned,^(ac) Israel, and there you have remained.^[c] Will not war again overtake the evildoers in Gibeah?

When I please, I will punish^(ad) them; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin.

Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke^(ae) on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground.

Sow^(af) righteousness^(ag) for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground;^(ah) for it is time to seek^(ai) the Lord , until he comes and showers his righteousness^(aj) on you.

But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil,^(ak) you have eaten the fruit of deception.^(al) Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,^(am)

the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated^(an)— as Shalman^(ao) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.^(ap)

So will it happen to you, Bethel, because your wickedness is great. When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.^(aq)

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

But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.^[a](d) They sacrificed to the Baals^(e) and they burned incense to images.^(f)

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms;^(g) but they did not realize it was I who healed^(h) them.

I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love.⁽ⁱ⁾ To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed^(j) them.^(k)

"Will they not return to Egypt^(l) and will not Assyria^(m) rule over them because they refuse to repent?⁽ⁿ⁾

A sword^(o) will flash in their cities; it will devour^(p) their false prophets and put an end to their plans.

My people are determined to turn^(q) from me.^(r) Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.

"How can I give you up,^(s) Ephraim?^(t) How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim?^(u) My heart is changed within me; all my compassion^(v) is aroused.^(w)

I will not carry out my fierce anger,^(x) nor will I devastate^(y) Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man^(z)— the Holy One^(aa) among you. I will not come against their cities.

They will follow the Lord ; he will roar^(ab) like a lion.^(ac) When he roars, his children will come trembling^(ad) from the west.^(ae)

They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria,^(af) fluttering like doves.^(ag) I will settle them in their homes,"^(ah) declares the Lord .

Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,^(ai) Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful^(aj) Holy One.^[b](ak)