¹ When^◦ Ephraim spoke in horror^◦, he^◦ lifted· himself ·up in Israel; and he became·​·guilty in Baal, and he died.

² And now they add to sin, and have made for themselves molten images of their silver, and idols^◦ according·​·to their own understanding, all of it the work^◦ of the craftsmen; they^◦ say of^◦ them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

³ Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew rising·​·early and going^◦, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind from the threshing·​·floor, and as the smoke from a chimney.

⁴ And I^▵ am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt not know a God except Me; and there is no saviour except^▵ Me.

⁵ I^◦ did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

⁶ According·​·to their pasture, so were they satisfied; they were satisfied, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me.

⁷ And I will be to them as^▵ a lion^◦; as a leopard by^◦ the way will I observe^◦ them:

⁸ I will encounter them as a bear bereaved, and will rend the enclosure of their heart, and there will I devour them as an old·​·lion; the wild·​·animal of the field shall rip them.

⁹ O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but^◦ in Me is thy help.

¹⁰ I·​·will·​·be thy king; where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities, and thy judges of whom thou didst say, Give to me a king and princes?

¹¹ I gave thee a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath.

¹² The iniquity of Ephraim is bundled; his sin is kept·​·secret.

¹³ The pangs of her who gives·​·birth shall come to him; he^◦ is a son not wise; for he stands not even for a time in the breaking forth^* of sons.

¹⁴ I will ransom them from the hand of hell; I will redeem them from death; O death, I·​·will·​·be thy pestilences; O hell, I·​·will·​·be thy destruction^◦: repentance shall be hidden from My eyes.

¹⁵ For between the brothers, he^◦ shall be as a wild·​·ass; an east·​·wind shall come, the wind of Jehovah shall come·​·up from the wilderness, and his spring shall dry·​·up, and his fountain shall be wasted; He^◦ shall pillage the treasure of all the vessels of desire.

^{16 14:1} Samaria shall be·​·guilty; for she has rebelled against^◦ her God; they shall fall by the sword: their babes shall be dashed, and their pregnant women shall be ripped·​·open.

¹ Gather· yourselves ·up, and gather·​·up, O nation not eager,

² before^◦ the statute is·​·born, before the day pass as chaff, before^◦ the fierce anger of Jehovah come on you, before^◦ the day of the anger of Jehovah come upon you!

³ seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, who have worked His judgment; seek justice, seek meekness; perhaps you shall be hidden in the day of Jehovah’s anger.

⁴ For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon for a desolation; they shall drive·​·out Ashdod at noon, and Ekron shall be hamstrung.

⁵ Woe to those who dwell in the region of the sea, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of Jehovah is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, and I will make· thee ·perish, and there shall be no·​·one dwelling.

⁶ And the region of the sea shall be for homes dug·​·out for shepherds, and fences for flocks.

⁷ And the region shall be for what·​·is·​·left of the house of Judah; they shall pasture upon them; in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie·​·down^◦ in the evening, for Jehovah their God shall visit them, and turn·​·back their captivity.

⁸ I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the sons of Ammon, by which they have reproached My people, and magnified themselves against their border.

⁹ Therefore as I^◦ live, says^◦ Jehovah of Armies, the God of Israel, surely^▵ Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, a forsaken^◦ place of nettles and a salt pit^◦, desolation even·​·to eternity; those who·​·are·​·left of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My nation shall inherit them.

¹⁰ This shall they^◦ have^◦ for their pride, for they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah of Armies.

¹¹ Jehovah will be fearsome unto them; for He will make·​·lean all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship Him, a man^◦ from his place, even all the islands of the nations.

¹² Also you^◦ Ethiopians, they^◦* shall be slain by My sword.

¹³ And He will stretch·​·out His hand against the north, and make· Assyria ·perish; and will set Nineveh for a desolation, arid as the wilderness.

¹⁴ And droves shall lie·​·down^◦ in the midst of her, every wild·​·animal of the nation; both^◦ the spoonbill and^◦ the osprey shall lodge in the knobs^* of her; their voice shall sing in the window; waste shall be in the doorway: for he shall make·​·naked her cedar.

¹⁵ This is the triumphant city that sat securely, that said in her heart, I^◦ am, and besides me there is nothing more^◦. How^◦ she has become a desolation, a place· for the wild·​·animal ·to·​·crouch! Everyone passing by^◦ her shall hiss, and shake^◦ his fist^▵.