1 ¶ When Ephraim spoke everyone feared, he was exalted in Israel; but he was found guilty in Baal and died.

When Ephraim speaketh tremblingly, He hath been lifted up in Israel, When he becometh guilty in Baal he dieth.

2 A nd now they sin more and more, and of their silver they have made molten images according to their own intelligence, idols, all of it the work of the craftsmen; they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

And now do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding -- idols, A work of artizans -- all of it, Of them they say, who sacrificers among men, `The calves let them kiss.'

3 T herefore they shall be as the morning mist and as the early dew that passes away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Therefore they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.

4 Y et I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt; therefore thou shalt know no God other than me, nor any other saviour but me.

And I Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, And a God besides Me thou dost not know, And a Saviour -- there is none save Me.

5 ¶ I knew thee in the wilderness, in the dry land.

I -- I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.

6 I n their pastures, they filled themselves; they were satisfied, and their heart was exalted; for this reason they have forgotten me.

According to their feedings they are satiated, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,

7 T herefore I will be unto them as a lion; as a tiger in the way I will observe them:

And I am to them as a lion, As a leopard by the way I look out.

8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps and will rend the veil of their heart, and there I will devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them apart.

I do meet them as a bereaved bear, And I rend the enclosure of their heart.

9 ¶ O Israel, thou hast caused thyself to become lost, but in me is thine help.

And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field doth rend them.

10 W here is thy king, that may save thee with all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou didst say, Give me a king and princes?

Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel, But in Me thy help, Where thy king now -- And he doth save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou didst say, `Give to me a king and heads?'

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

I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.

12 T he iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.

Bound up the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden his sin,

13 T he sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him; he is an unwise son; for a long time now he should not have stopped short at the very breaking forth of birth.

Pangs of a travailing woman come to him, He a son not wise, For he remaineth not the time for the breaking forth of sons.

14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death; O death, I will be thy end; O Sheol, I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from my eyes.

From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I redeem them, Where thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction, O Sheol? Repentance is hid from Mine eyes.

15 T hough he be fruitful among his brethren, the east wind shall come; the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; he shall spoil the treasure of all the vessels of desire.

Though he among brethren produceth fruit, Come in doth an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it drieth up his fountain, And become dry doth his spring, It -- it spoileth a treasure -- every desirable vessel.

16 S amaria shall be condemned; for she has rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped open.

Become desolate doth Samaria, Because she hath rebelled against her God, By sword they do fall, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!