Study Desk

^(C1)With their wickedness they make the ^(C2)king happy, And the officials with their ^(C3)lies.

They are ^(C1)all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker, Who stops ^(F1)stoking the fire From the time the dough is kneaded until it is leavened.

On the ^(F1)day of our king, the officials ^(C1)became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with ^(F2)(C2)scoffers,

For their hearts are like an ^(C1)oven As they approach their ^(F1)plotting; Their ^(F2)anger ^(F3)smolders all night, In the morning it burns like flaming fire.

All of them are hot like an oven, And they consume their ^(C1)rulers; All their kings have fallen. ^(C2)None of them calls on Me.

Ephraim is himself ^(C1)thrown about with the ^(F1)nations; Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.

^(C1)Strangers devour his strength, Yet he ^(C2)does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know it.

Though the ^(C1)pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet ^(C2)they have not returned to the LORD their God, Nor have they sought Him, despite all this.

So ^(C1)Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, ^(C2)without ^(F1)sense; They call to ^(C3)Egypt, they go to ^(C4)Assyria.

When they go, I will ^(C1)spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will ^(C2)discipline them in accordance with the ^(F1)proclamation to their assembly.

^(C1)Woe to them, for they have ^(C2)strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I ^(C3)would redeem them, but they have spoken lies against Me.

And ^(C1)they do not cry to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds; For the sake of grain and new wine they ^(F1)(C2)assemble themselves, They ^(C3)turn against Me.

Although I trained and strengthened their arms, Yet they ^(C1)devise evil against Me.

They turn, but not ^(F1)upward, They are like a ^(C1)loose bow; Their officials will fall by the sword Because of the ^(F2)(C2)insolence of their tongue. This will be their ^(C3)derision in the land of Egypt.