1 W hen Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, But through Baal he did wrong and died.

When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he exalted himself in Israel: but he trespassed through Baal, and he died.

2 A nd now they sin more and more, And make for themselves molten images, Idols skillfully made from their silver, All of them the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!”

And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, 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 T herefore they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney.

Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the lattice.

4 Y et I have been the Lord your God Since the land of Egypt; And you were not to know any god except Me, For there is no savior besides Me.

Yet I Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou hast known no God but me; and there is no saviour besides me.

5 I cared for you in the wilderness, In the land of drought.

I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

6 A s they had their pasture, they became satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me.

According to their pasture, they became full; they became full, and their heart was exalted: therefore have they forgotten me.

7 S o I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside.

And I will be unto them as a lion; as a leopard I will lurk for them by the way;

8 I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, And I will tear open their chests; There I will also devour them like a lioness, As a wild beast would tear them.

I will meet them as a bear bereaved of her, and will rend the covering of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lioness: the beast of the field shall tear them.

9 I t is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help.

It is thy destruction, O Israel, that against me, against thy help.

10 W here now is your king That he may save you in all your cities, And your judges of whom you requested, “Give me a king and princes”?

Where then is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?—

11 I gave you a king in My anger And took him away in My wrath.

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

12 T he iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; His sin is stored up.

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid by in store.

13 T he pains of childbirth come upon him; He is not a wise son, For it is not the time that he should delay at the opening of the womb.

The pangs of a woman in travail shall come upon him: he is a son not wise; for at the time of the breaking forth of children, he was not there.

14 S hall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight.

I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death: where, O death, are thy plagues? where, O Sheol, is thy destruction? Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

15 T hough he flourishes among the reeds, An east wind will come, The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness; And his fountain will become dry And his spring will be dried up; It will plunder his treasury of every precious article.

Though he be fruitful among brethren, an east wind shall come, a wind of Jehovah cometh up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.

16 S amaria will be held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, Their little ones will be dashed in pieces, And their pregnant women will be ripped open.

Samaria shall bear her guilt; for she hath 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 up.