⁴ “Their deeds do not permit them
    to return^(H) to their God.
A spirit of prostitution^(I) is in their heart;
    they do not acknowledge^(J) the Lord.
⁵ Israel’s arrogance testifies^(K) against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble^(L) in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.^(M)
6 When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,^(N)
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn^(O) himself from them.
⁷ They are unfaithful^(P) to the Lord;
    they give birth to illegitimate^(Q) children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,^(R)
    he will devour^[a](S) their fields.

⁸ “Sound the trumpet^(T) in Gibeah,^(U)
    the horn in Ramah.^(V)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven^[b];^(W)
    lead on, Benjamin.
⁹ Ephraim will be laid waste^(X)
    on the day of reckoning.^(Y)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.^(Z)
10 Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.^(AA)
I will pour out my wrath^(AB) on them
    like a flood of water.
¹¹ Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.^[c](AC)
12 I am like a moth^(AD) to Ephraim,
    like rot^(AE) to the people of Judah.

¹³ “When Ephraim^(AF) saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,^(AG)
    and sent to the great king for help.^(AH)
But he is not able to cure^(AI) you,
    not able to heal your sores.^(AJ)
14 For I will be like a lion^(AK) to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces^(AL) and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.^(AM)
15 Then I will return to my lair^(AN)
    until they have borne their guilt^(AO)
    and seek my face^(AP)—
in their misery^(AQ)
    they will earnestly seek me.^(AR)”

⁴ “What can I do with you, Ephraim?^(BB)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.^(BC)
5 Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth^(BD)—
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.^[d](BE)
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(BF)
    and acknowledgment^(BG) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(BH)
7 As at Adam,^[e] they have broken the covenant;^(BI)
    they were unfaithful^(BJ) to me there.
⁸ Gilead is a city of evildoers,^(BK)
    stained with footprints of blood.
⁹ As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^(BL)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder^(BM) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.^(BN)
10 I have seen a horrible^(BO) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.^(BP)

¹¹ “Also for you, Judah,
    a harvest^(BQ) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^(BR) of my people,

³ “They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.^(BZ)
4 They are all adulterers,^(CA)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
⁵ On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,^(CB)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.^(CC)
6 Their hearts are like an oven;^(CD)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
⁷ All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,^(CE)
    and none of them calls^(CF) on me.

⁸ “Ephraim mixes^(CG) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
⁹ Foreigners sap his strength,^(CH)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
¹⁰ Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,^(CI)
    but despite all this
he does not return^(CJ) to the Lord his God
    or search^(CK) for him.

¹¹ “Ephraim is like a dove,^(CL)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,^(CM)
    now turning to Assyria.^(CN)
12 When they go, I will throw my net^(CO) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
¹³ Woe^(CP) to them,
    because they have strayed^(CQ) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me^(CR) falsely.^(CS)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts^(CT)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,^[f] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,^(CU)
    but they turn away from me.^(CV)
15 I trained^(CW) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil^(CX) against me.
¹⁶ They do not turn to the Most High;^(CY)
    they are like a faulty bow.^(CZ)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent^(DA) words.
For this they will be ridiculed^(DB)
    in the land of Egypt.^(DC)

⁷ “They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.^(DP)
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.^(DQ)
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.^(DR)
8 Israel is swallowed up;^(DS)
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.^(DT)
9 For they have gone up to Assyria^(DU)
    like a wild donkey^(DV) wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.^(DW)
10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.^(DX)
They will begin to waste away^(DY)
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

¹¹ “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
    these have become altars for sinning.^(DZ)
12 I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.^(EA)
13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me,
    and though they eat^(EB) the meat,
    the Lord is not pleased with them.^(EC)
Now he will remember^(ED) their wickedness
    and punish their sins:^(EE)
    They will return to Egypt.^(EF)
14 Israel has forgotten^(EG) their Maker^(EH)
    and built palaces;
    Judah has fortified many towns.
But I will send fire on their cities
    that will consume their fortresses.”^(EI)