1 W hen Ephraim spoke, men shook in fear. He was honored in Israel. But he sinned by worshiping Baal, and died.

«حِينَ تَكَلَّمَ أفْرايِمُ كانَ هُناكَ رُعبٌ. رَفَعَ نَفسَهُ فِي إسْرائِيلَ. لَكِنَّهُ عَمِلَ إثماً بِعِبادَتِهِ البَعلَ، فَماتَ.

2 A nd now they sin more and more. They make false gods for themselves. Their able workmen make them out of silver. And they say, “Let the men who give gifts in worship kiss the calf-gods!”

وَهُمِ الآنَ يَستَمِرُّونَ فِي الخَطِيَّةِ. يَصنَعُونَ لأنفُسِهِمْ صَنَماً. سَبَكُوا تَماثِيلَ بَكُلِّ مَهارَةٍ، وَقَد كانَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنها عَمَلَ حِرَفِيِّينَ مَهَرَةٍ. يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إلَى تِلكَ التَّماثِيلِ. يُقَدِّمُونَ ذَبائِحَ لَها، وَيُقَبِّلُونَ تِلكَ العُجُولَ الذَّهَبِيَّةَ.

3 S o they will be like the morning cloud, and like the water on the grass in the early morning which is soon gone. They will be like the dust of the grain that is blown away from the grain-floor, and like smoke from a fire.

وَلِهَذا فَهُمْ كَالضَبابِ فِي الصَّباحِ وَالنَّدَى الَّذِي يَزُولُ سَرِيعاً فِي النَّهارِ. إنَّهُمْ كَالتِّبنِ الَّذِي يَتَطايَرُ مِنْ بَيدَرِ الدَّرسِ، وَكالدُخانِ الصّاعِدِ مِنَ المَدخَنَةِ.

4 “ I am the Lord your God Who brought you out of Egypt. You were not to know any god but Me, for there is no one who can save you but Me.

«أنا إلَهُكَ مُنذُ كُنتَ فِي مِصرَ. لَمْ تَعبُدْ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى غَيرِي، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ مُخَلِّصٌ آخَرُ سِوايَ.

5 I cared for you in the desert, in the land where there was no water.

عَرَفتُكَ فِي الصَّحراءِ وَفِي الأرْضِ الجّافَّةِ.

6 W hen I fed them, they were filled. And when they were filled, their heart became proud and they forgot Me.

حِينَ كُنتُ أُطعِمُهُمْ كانَ لَدَيهُمُ الكَثِيرَ لِيَأكُلُوهُ، لِذَلِكَ تَكَبَّرُوا وَنَسُونِي.

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

لِذَلِكَ سَأكُونُ لَهُمْ كَأسَدٍ، وَكَنَمِرٍ عَلَى طَرِيقِ أشُّورَ.

8 I will fight them like a bear robbed of her young ones. I will tear open their chests. I will eat them there like a female lion, and tear them like a wild animal.

سَأهجُمُ عَلَيهِمْ مِثلَ دُبَّةٍ هائِجَةٍ فَأشُقُّ صُدُورَهُمْ. سَألتَهِمُهُمْ كَما يَلتَهِمُ الأسَدُ، وَسَأُمَزِّقُهُمْ مِثلَ حَيوانٍ بَرِّيٍّ.

9 “ I will destroy you, O Israel, because you are against Me, against your Helper.

«يا إسْرائِيلُ، سَأُدَمِّرُكَ، لأنَّكَ ضِدِّي، ضِدَّ مُعِينِكَ.

10 W here is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your cities, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and leaders’?

فَأينَ مَلِكُكَ؟ هَل سَيَأتِي بِالخَلاصِ إلَى كُلِّ مُدُنِكَ؟ وَأينَ قُضاتُكَ الَّذِينَ صَلَّيتَ إلَيَّ بِشَأنِهِمْ وَقُلتَ: ‹أعطِنِي مَلِكاً وَرُؤَساءَ؟›

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

أعطَيتُكَ مَلِكاً وَأنا غاضِبٌ، وَأخَذتُهُ حِينَ كُنتُ ساخِطاً.

12 “ The wrong-doing of Ephraim is being kept. His sin is being stored up.

«جَرِيمَةُ أفْرايِمَ مَحفُوظَةٌ فِي صُرَّةٍ، وَخَطِيَّتُهُ مُخَبَأةٌ.

13 T he pains like a woman giving birth will come upon him, but he is not a wise son. He is not willing to be born.

آلامُ الوِلادَةِ المُنبِئَةُ باقتِرابِ وِلادَتِهِ أتَتْ. إنَّهُ وَلَدٌ غَيرُ حَكِيمٍ. فَحِينَ جاءَ وَقتُ وِلادَتِهِ لَمْ يَخرُجْ مِنْ بَطنِ أُمِّهِ.

14 I will pay the price to free them from the power of the grave. I will save them from death. O Death, where are your thorns? O Grave, where is your power to destroy? I will have no loving-pity.

«سَأفتَدِيهِ مِنْ سَيطَرَةِ الهاوِيَةِ، سَأُخَلِّصُهُ مِنَ المَوتِ. أينَ هَلاكُكَ يا مَوتُ؟ أينَ خَرابُكِ يا هاوِيَةُ؟ لَستُ أرَى سَبَباً واحِداً للشَّفَقَةِ عَلَيهِ!

15 “ Even if he grows among his brothers, an east wind will come. The wind of the Lord will come from the desert. And his well will dry up. His water will be gone. It will take away everything of much worth.

مَعَ أنَّ أفْرايِمَ أكثَرُ مِنْ إخْوَتِهِ إثماراً، إلّا أنَّ رِيحَ اللهِ الشَّرقِيَّةَ سَتَأتِي عَلَيهِ مِنَ البِرِّيَّةِ. سَتَنْشَفُ بِئرُهُ، وَسَيَجِفُّ نَبعُهُ. وَسَتَسلِبُ الرِّيحُ كُلَّ ثَمِينٍ عِندَهُ.

16 S amaria will suffer for her guilt, for she has not wanted to obey her God. They will be killed by the sword. Their little ones will be crushed in pieces. And their women who are soon to give birth will be torn open.”

السّامِرَةُ مُذنِبَةٌ لأنَّها تَمَرَّدَت عَلَى إلَهِها. سَيَسقُطُونَ فِي الحَربِ، وَسَيُسحَقُ أطفالُهُمْ، وَسَتُشَقُّ نِساؤُهُمُ الحَوامِلُ.»