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

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

2 A nd 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.'

And 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!”

3 T herefore 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.

So 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.

4 A nd 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.

“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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

10 T hou 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?'

Where 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’?

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

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

12 B ound up the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden his sin,

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

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

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

14 F rom 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.

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.

15 T hough 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.

“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.

16 B ecome 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!

Samaria 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.”