¹ Ephraim's food is the wind, and he goes after the east wind: deceit and destruction are increasing day by day; they make an agreement with Assyria, and take oil into Egypt.

² The Lord has a cause against Judah, and will give punishment to Jacob for his ways; he will give him the reward of his acts.

³ In the body of his mother he took his brother by the foot, and in his strength he was fighting with God;

⁴ He had a fight with the angel and overcame him; he made request for grace to him with weeping; he came face to face with him in Beth-el and there his words came to him;

⁵ Even the Lord, the God of armies; the Lord is his name.

⁶ So then, come back to your God; keep mercy and right, and be waiting at all times on your God.

⁷ As for Canaan, the scales of deceit are in his hands; he takes pleasure in twisted ways.

⁸ And Ephraim said, Now I have got wealth and much property; in all my works no sin may be seen in me.

⁹ But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will give you tents for your living-places again as in the days of the holy meeting.

¹⁰ My word came to the ears of the prophets and I gave them visions in great number, and by the mouths of the prophets I made use of comparisons.

¹¹ In Gilead there is evil. They are quite without value; in Gilgal they make offerings of oxen; truly their altars are like masses of stones in the hollows of a ploughed field.

¹² And Jacob went in flight into the field of Aram, and Israel became a servant for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

¹³ And by a prophet the Lord made Israel come up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was kept safe.

¹⁴ I have been bitterly moved to wrath by Ephraim; so that his blood will be on him, and the Lord will make his shame come back on him.

¹ Give ear to the word of the Lord, O children of Israel; for the Lord has a cause against the people of this land, because there is no good faith in it, and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land.

² There is cursing and broken faith, violent death and attacks on property, men are untrue in married life, houses are broken into, and there is blood touching blood.

³ Because of this the land will be dry, and everyone living in it will be wasted away, with the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven; even the fishes of the sea will be taken away.

⁴ Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law with a priest.

⁵ You will not be able to keep on your feet by day, and by night the prophet will be falling down with you, and I will give your mother to destruction.

⁶ Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge; because you have given up knowledge, I will give you up, so that you will be no priest to me, because you have not kept in mind the law of your God, I will not keep your children in my memory.

⁷ Even while they were increasing in number they were sinning against me; I will let their glory be changed into shame.

⁸ The sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.

⁹ And the priest will be like the people; I will give them punishment for their evil ways, and the reward of their acts.

¹⁰ They will have food, but they will not be full; they will be false to me, but they will not be increased, because they no longer give thought to the Lord.

¹¹ Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.

¹² My people get knowledge from their tree, and their rod gives them news; for a false spirit is the cause of their wandering, and they have been false to their God.

¹³ They make offerings on the tops of mountains, burning perfumes in high places, under trees of every sort, because their shade is good: and so your daughters are given up to loose ways and your brides are false to their husbands.

¹⁴ I will not give punishment to your daughters or your brides for their evil behaviour; for they make themselves separate with loose women, and make offerings with those who are used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods: the people who have no wisdom will be sent away.

¹⁵ Do not you, O Israel, come into error; do not you, O Judah, come to Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, or take an oath, By the living Lord.

¹⁶ For Israel is uncontrolled, like a cow which may not be controlled; now will the Lord give them food like a lamb in a wide place.

¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to false gods; let him be.

¹⁸ Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.

¹⁹ They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.