Bible in 90 Days
Daniel’s Prayer for the People
9 In the first year (A)of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through (B)Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 (C)Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O (D)Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 (E)we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 (F)Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, (G)righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 (H)To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, (I)all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the (J)Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has (K)confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; (L)for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 (M)“As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; (N)yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has (O)kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for (P)the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, (Q)who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself (R)a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 “O Lord, (S)according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, (T)Your holy mountain; because for our sins, (U)and for the iniquities of our fathers, (V)Jerusalem and Your people (W)are a reproach to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, (X)and (Y)for the Lord’s sake [a]cause Your face to shine on [b]Your sanctuary, (Z)which is desolate. 18 (AA)O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes (AB)and see our desolations, and the city (AC)which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man (AD)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, [c]being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the [d]command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly (AE)beloved; therefore (AF)consider the matter, and understand the vision:
24 “Seventy [e]weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
[f]To make an end of sins,
(AG)To make reconciliation for iniquity,
(AH)To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
(AI)And to anoint [g]the Most Holy.
25 “Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until (AJ)Messiah (AK)the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The [h]street shall be built again, and the [i]wall,
Even in troublesome times.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks
(AL)Messiah shall [j]be cut off, (AM)but not for Himself;
And (AN)the people of the prince who is to come
(AO)Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm (AP)a [k]covenant with (AQ)many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
(AR)Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the [l]desolate.”
Vision of the Glorious Man
10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose (AS)name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, [m]but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no [n]pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the [o]Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in (AT)linen, whose waist was (AU)girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, (AV)and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my [p]vigor was turned to [q]frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece
10 (AW)Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, (AX)man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
12 Then he said to me, (AY)“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, (AZ)your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 (BA)But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, (BB)Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people (BC)in the latter days, (BD)for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
15 When he had spoken such words to me, (BE)I [r]turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, (BF)one having the likeness of the [s]sons of men (BG)touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision (BH)my sorrows have [t]overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”
18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 (BI)And he said, “O man greatly beloved, (BJ)fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”
So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight (BK)with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, (BL)except Michael your prince.
Warring Kings of North and South
11 “Also (BM)in the first year of (BN)Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. 3 Then (BO)a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and (BP)do according to his will. 4 And when he has arisen, (BQ)his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity (BR)nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Warring Kings of North and South
5 “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. 6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her [u]authority, and neither he nor his [v]authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. 7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. 8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their [w]princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.
9 “Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come (BS)and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return (BT)to his fortress and stir up strife.
11 “And the king of the South shall be (BU)moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the (BV)multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be [x]lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, [y]violent men of your people shall exalt themselves [z]in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall (BW)fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and (BX)build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the [aa]forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him (BY)shall do according to his own will, and (BZ)no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his [ab]power.
17 “He shall also (CA)set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and [ac]upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, (CB)or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall (CC)stumble and fall, (CD)and not be found.
20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. 21 And in his place (CE)shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the [ad]force of a (CF)flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, (CG)and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him (CH)he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, [ae]spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall [af]be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the (CI)appointed time. 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
The Northern King’s Blasphemies
29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 (CJ)For ships from [ag]Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.
“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And [ah]forces shall be mustered by him, (CK)and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall [ai]corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by [aj]intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, (CL)to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.
36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall (CM)exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the [ak]God of his fathers nor the desire of women, (CN)nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for [al]gain.
The Northern King’s Conquests
40 “At the (CO)time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him (CP)like a whirlwind, with chariots, (CQ)horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: (CR)Edom, Moab, and the [am]prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of (CS)Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow (CT)at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and (CU)the glorious holy mountain; (CV)yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
Prophecy of the End Time
12 “At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
(CW)And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people (CX)shall be delivered,
Every one who is found (CY)written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
(CZ)Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame (DA)and everlasting [an]contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall (DB)shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
(DC)And those who turn many to righteousness
(DD)Like the stars forever and ever.
4 “But you, Daniel, (DE)shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall (DF)run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that (DG)riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in (DH)linen, who was above the waters of the river, (DI)“How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”
7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he (DJ)held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him (DK)who lives forever, (DL)that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; (DM)and when the power of (DN)the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 (DO)Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, (DP)but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but (DQ)the wise shall understand.
11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.
13 “But you, go your way till the end; (DR)for you shall rest, (DS)and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
Hosea’s Unfaithful Wife
1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of (DT)Uzziah, (DU)Jotham, (DV)Ahaz, and (DW)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of (DX)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
The Family of Hosea
2 When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea:
(DY)“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry
And children of harlotry,
For (DZ)the land has committed great [ao]harlotry
By departing from the Lord.”
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to him:
“Call his name Jezreel,
For in a little while
(EA)I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,
(EB)And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 (EC)It shall come to pass in that day
That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:
“Call her name [ap]Lo-Ruhamah,
(ED)For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
[aq]But I will utterly take them away.
7 (EE)Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah,
Will save them by the Lord their God,
And (EF)will not save them by bow,
Nor by sword or battle,
By horses or horsemen.”
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then God said:
“Call his name [ar]Lo-Ammi,
For you are not My people,
And I will not be your God.
The Restoration of Israel
10 “Yet (EG)the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
(EH)And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,
‘You are [as]not My (EI)people,’
There it shall be said to them,
‘You are (EJ)sons of the living God.’
11 (EK)Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel
Shall be gathered together,
And appoint for themselves one head;
And they shall come up out of the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel!
The Lord’s Love for His Unfaithful People
God’s Unfaithful People
2 “Bring[av] charges against your mother, [aw]bring charges;
For (EL)she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband!
Let her put away her (EM)harlotries from her sight,
And her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest (EN)I strip her naked
And expose her, as in the day she was (EO)born,
And make her like a wilderness,
And set her like a dry land,
And slay her with (EP)thirst.
4 “I will not have mercy on her children,
For they are the (EQ)children of harlotry.
5 For their mother has played the harlot;
She who conceived them has behaved shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
(ER)Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen,
My oil and my drink.’
6 “Therefore, behold,
(ES)I will hedge up your way with thorns,
And [ax]wall her in,
So that she cannot find her paths.
7 She will [ay]chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
(ET)‘I will go and return to my (EU)first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.’
8 For she did not (EV)know
That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil,
And multiplied her silver and gold—
Which they prepared for Baal.
9 “Therefore I will return and take away
My grain in its time
And My new wine in its season,
And will take back My wool and My linen,
Given to cover her nakedness.
10 Now (EW)I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers,
And no one shall deliver her from My hand.
11 (EX)I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days,
Her New Moons,
Her Sabbaths—
All her appointed feasts.
12 “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees,
Of which she has said,
‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’
So I will make them a forest,
And the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 I will punish her
For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot,” says the Lord.
God’s Mercy on His People
14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak [az]comfort to her.
15 I will give her her vineyards from there,
And (EY)the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in (EZ)the days of her youth,
(FA)As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 “And it shall be, in that day,”
Says the Lord,
“That you will call Me [ba]‘My Husband,’
And no longer call Me [bb]‘My Master,’
17 For (FB)I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals,
And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
18 In that day I will make a (FC)covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
With the birds of the air,
And with the creeping things of the ground.
Bow and sword of battle (FD)I will shatter from the earth,
To make them (FE)lie down safely.
19 “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And (FF)you shall know the Lord.
21 “It shall come to pass in that day
That (FG)I will answer,” says the Lord;
“I will answer the heavens,
And they shall answer the earth.
22 The earth shall answer
With grain,
With new wine,
And with oil;
They shall answer [bc]Jezreel.
23 Then (FH)I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
(FI)And I will have mercy on her who had [bd]not obtained mercy;
Then (FJ)I will say to those who were [be]not My people,
‘You are [bf]My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”
Israel Will Return to God
3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a (FK)lover[bg] and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You shall (FL)stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.”
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days (FM)without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without (FN)ephod or (FO)teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and (FP)seek the Lord their God and (FQ)David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the (FR)latter days.
God’s Charge Against Israel
4 Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a (FS)charge[bh] against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or (FT)knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed [bi]upon bloodshed.
3 Therefore (FU)the land will mourn;
And (FV)everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4 “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those (FW)who contend with the priest.
5 Therefore you shall stumble (FX)in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
6 (FY)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
(FZ)Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 “The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
(GA)I[bj] will change [bk]their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their [bl]heart on their iniquity.
9 And it shall be: (GB)like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And [bm]reward them for their deeds.
10 For (GC)they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.
The Idolatry of Israel
11 “Harlotry, wine, and new wine (GD)enslave the heart.
12 My people ask counsel from their (GE)wooden idols,
And their [bn]staff informs them.
For (GF)the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13 (GG)They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
(GH)Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.
14 “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a (GI)ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
15 “Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Let not Judah offend.
(GJ)Do not come up to Gilgal,
Nor go up to (GK)Beth[bo] Aven,
(GL)Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
16 “For Israel (GM)is stubborn
Like a stubborn calf;
Now the Lord will let them forage
Like a lamb in [bp]open country.
17 “Ephraim is joined to idols,
(GN)Let him alone.
18 Their drink [bq]is rebellion,
They commit harlotry continually.
(GO)Her [br]rulers [bs]dearly love dishonor.
19 (GP)The wind has wrapped her up in its wings,
And (GQ)they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah
5 “Hear this, O priests!
Take heed, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For [bt]yours is the judgment,
Because (GR)you have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread on Tabor.
2 The revolters are (GS)deeply involved in slaughter,
Though I rebuke them all.
3 (GT)I know Ephraim,
And Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, (GU)you commit harlotry;
Israel is defiled.
4 “They[bu] do not direct their deeds
Toward turning to their God,
For (GV)the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
And they do not know the Lord.
5 The (GW)pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
Judah also stumbles with them.
6 “With their flocks and herds
(GX)They shall go to seek the Lord,
But they will not find Him;
He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have (GY)dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have begotten [bv]pagan children.
Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.
8 “Blow(GZ) the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
(HA)Cry aloud at (HB)Beth Aven,
‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!’
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.
10 “The princes of Judah are like those who (HC)remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
11 Ephraim is (HD)oppressed and broken in judgment,
Because he willingly walked by (HE)human precept.
12 Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth,
And to the house of Judah (HF)like rottenness.
13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah saw his (HG)wound,
Then Ephraim went (HH)to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb;
Yet he cannot cure you,
Nor heal you of your wound.
14 For (HI)I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(HJ)I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
15 I will return again to My place
Till they [bw]acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
A Call to Repentance
6 Come,(HK) and let us return to the Lord;
For (HL)He has torn, but (HM)He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will [bx]bind us up.
2 (HN)After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
3 (HO)Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
His going forth is established (HP)as the morning;
(HQ)He will come to us (HR)like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
Impenitence of Israel and Judah
4 “O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?
O Judah, what shall I do to you?
For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,
And like the early dew it goes away.
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by (HS)the words of My mouth;
And [by]your judgments are like light that goes forth.
6 For I desire (HT)mercy[bz] and (HU)not sacrifice,
And the (HV)knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7 “But like [ca]men they transgressed the covenant;
There they dealt treacherously with Me.
8 (HW)Gilead is a city of evildoers
And [cb]defiled with blood.
9 As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man,
So the company of (HX)priests (HY)murder on the way to Shechem;
Surely they commit (HZ)lewdness.
10 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:
There is the [cc]harlotry of Ephraim;
Israel is defiled.
11 Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,
When I return the captives of My people.
Israel Has Rebelled Against God
7 “When I would have healed Israel,
Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered,
And the wickedness of Samaria.
For (IA)they have committed fraud;
A thief comes in;
A band of robbers [cd]takes spoil outside.
2 They [ce]do not consider in their hearts
That (IB)I remember all their wickedness;
Now their own deeds have surrounded them;
They are before My face.
3 They make a (IC)king glad with their wickedness,
And princes (ID)with their lies.
4 “They(IE) are all adulterers.
Like an oven heated by a baker—
He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough,
Until it is leavened.
5 In the day of our king
Princes have made him sick, [cf]inflamed with (IF)wine;
He stretched out his hand with scoffers.
6 They prepare their heart like an oven,
While they lie in wait;
[cg]Their baker sleeps all night;
In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot, like an oven,
And have devoured their judges;
All their kings have fallen.
(IG)None among them calls upon Me.
8 “Ephraim (IH)has mixed himself among the peoples;
Ephraim is a cake unturned.
9 (II)Aliens have devoured his strength,
But he does not know it;
Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him,
Yet he does not know it.
10 And the (IJ)pride of Israel testifies to his face,
But (IK)they do not return to the Lord their God,
Nor seek Him for all this.
Futile Reliance on the Nations
11 “Ephraim(IL) also is like a silly dove, without [ch]sense—
(IM)They call to Egypt,
They go to (IN)Assyria.
12 Wherever they go, I will (IO)spread My net on them;
I will bring them down like birds of the air;
I will chastise them
(IP)According to what their congregation has heard.
13 “Woe to them, for they have fled from Me!
Destruction to them,
Because they have transgressed against Me!
Though (IQ)I redeemed them,
Yet they have spoken lies against Me.
14 (IR)They did not cry out to Me with their heart
When they wailed upon their beds.
“They [ci]assemble together for grain and new (IS)wine,
[cj]They rebel against Me;
15 Though I disciplined and strengthened their arms,
Yet they devise evil against Me;
16 They return, but not [ck]to the Most High;
(IT)They are like a treacherous bow.
Their princes shall fall by the sword
For the (IU)cursings of their tongue.
This shall be their derision (IV)in the land of Egypt.
The Apostasy of Israel
8 “Set the [cl]trumpet to your mouth!
He shall come (IW)like an eagle against the house of the Lord,
Because they have transgressed My covenant
And rebelled against My law.
2 (IX)Israel will cry to Me,
‘My God, (IY)we know You!’
3 Israel has rejected the good;
The enemy will pursue him.
4 “They(IZ) set up kings, but not by Me;
They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.
From their silver and gold
They made idols for themselves—
That they might be cut off.
5 Your [cm]calf [cn]is rejected, O Samaria!
My anger is aroused against them—
(JA)How long until they attain to innocence?
6 For from Israel is even this:
A (JB)workman made it, and it is not God;
But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.
7 “They(JC) sow the wind,
And reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no bud;
It shall never produce meal.
If it should produce,
(JD)Aliens would swallow it up.
8 (JE)Israel is swallowed up;
Now they are among the Gentiles
(JF)Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria,
Like (JG)a wild donkey alone by itself;
Ephraim (JH)has hired lovers.
10 Yes, though they have hired among the nations,
Now (JI)I will gather them;
And they shall [co]sorrow a little,
Because of the [cp]burden of (JJ)the king of princes.
11 “Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin,
They have become for him altars for sinning.
12 I have written for him (JK)the great things of My law,
But they were considered a strange thing.
13 For the sacrifices of My offerings (JL)they sacrifice flesh and eat it,
(JM)But the Lord does not accept them.
(JN)Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.
They shall return to Egypt.
14 “For(JO) Israel has forgotten (JP)his Maker,
And has built [cq]temples;
Judah also has multiplied (JQ)fortified cities;
But (JR)I will send fire upon his cities,
And it shall devour his [cr]palaces.”
Judgment of Israel’s Sin
9 Do(JS) not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples,
For you have played the harlot against your God.
You have made love for (JT)hire on every threshing floor.
2 The threshing floor and the winepress
Shall not feed them,
And the new wine shall fail in her.
3 They shall not dwell in (JU)the Lord’s land,
(JV)But Ephraim shall return to Egypt,
And (JW)shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord,
Nor (JX)shall their (JY)sacrifices be pleasing to Him.
It shall be like bread of mourners to them;
All who eat it shall be defiled.
For their bread shall be for their own life;
It shall not come into the house of the Lord.
5 What will you do in the appointed day,
And in the day of the feast of the Lord?
6 For indeed they are gone because of destruction.
Egypt shall gather them up;
Memphis shall bury them.
(JZ)Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver;
Thorns shall be in their tents.
7 The (KA)days of punishment have come;
The days of recompense have come.
Israel knows!
The prophet is a (KB)fool,
(KC)The spiritual man is insane,
Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.
8 The (KD)watchman of Ephraim is with my God;
But the prophet is a [cs]fowler’s snare in all his ways—
Enmity in the house of his God.
9 (KE)They are deeply corrupted,
As in the days of (KF)Gibeah.
He will remember their iniquity;
He will punish their sins.
10 “I found Israel
Like grapes in the (KG)wilderness;
I saw your fathers
As the (KH)firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season.
But they went to (KI)Baal Peor,
And [ct]separated themselves to that shame;
(KJ)They became an abomination like the thing they loved.
11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird—
No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!
12 Though they bring up their children,
Yet I will bereave them to the last man.
Yes, (KK)woe to them when I depart from them!
13 Just (KL)as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place,
So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.”
14 Give them, O Lord—
What will You give?
Give them (KM)a miscarrying womb
And dry breasts!
15 “All their wickedness is in (KN)Gilgal,
For there I hated them.
Because of the evil of their deeds
I will drive them from My house;
I will love them no more.
(KO)All their princes are rebellious.
16 Ephraim is (KP)stricken,
Their root is dried up;
They shall bear no fruit.
Yes, were they to bear children,
I would kill the darlings of their womb.”
17 My God will (KQ)cast them away,
Because they did not obey Him;
And they shall be (KR)wanderers among the nations.
Israel’s Sin and Captivity
10 Israel (KS)empties his vine;
He brings forth fruit for himself.
According to the multitude of his fruit
(KT)He has increased the altars;
According to the bounty of his land
They have embellished his sacred pillars.
2 Their heart is (KU)divided;[cu]
Now they are held guilty.
He will break down their altars;
He will ruin their sacred pillars.
3 For now they say,
“We have no king,
Because we did not fear the Lord.
And as for a king, what would he do for us?”
4 They have spoken words,
Swearing falsely in making a covenant.
Thus judgment springs up (KV)like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria fear
Because of the (KW)calf[cv] of Beth Aven.
For its people mourn for it,
And [cw]its priests shriek for it—
Because its (KX)glory has departed from it.
6 The idol also shall be carried to Assyria
As a present for King (KY)Jareb.
Ephraim shall receive shame,
And Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off
Like a twig on the water.
8 Also the (KZ)high places of [cx]Aven, (LA)the sin of Israel,
Shall be destroyed.
The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars;
(LB)They shall say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 “O Israel, you have sinned from the days of (LC)Gibeah;
There they stood.
The (LD)battle in Gibeah against the children of [cy]iniquity
Did not [cz]overtake them.
10 When it is My desire, I will chasten them.
(LE)Peoples shall be gathered against them
When I bind them [da]for their two transgressions.
11 Ephraim is (LF)a trained heifer
That loves to thresh grain;
But I harnessed her fair neck,
I will make Ephraim [db]pull a plow.
Judah shall plow;
Jacob shall break his clods.”
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
(LG)Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He (LH)comes and rains righteousness on you.
13 (LI)You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.
14 Therefore tumult shall arise among your people,
And all your fortresses shall be plundered
As Shalman plundered Beth Arbel in the day of battle—
A mother dashed in pieces upon her children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
Because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel
Shall be cut off utterly.
God’s Continuing Love for Israel
11 “When Israel was a [dc]child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt (LJ)I called My (LK)son.
2 [dd]As they called them,
So they (LL)went [de]from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.
3 “I(LM) taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by [df]their arms;
But they did not know that (LN)I healed them.
4 I drew them with [dg]gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And (LO)I was to them as those who take the yoke from their [dh]neck.
(LP)I stooped and fed them.
5 “He shall not return to the land of Egypt;
But the Assyrian shall be his king,
Because they refused to repent.
6 And the sword shall slash in his cities,
Devour his districts,
And consume them,
Because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent on (LQ)backsliding from Me.
Though [di]they call [dj]to the Most High,
None at all exalt Him.
8 “How(LR) can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like (LS)Admah?
How can I set you like Zeboiim?
My heart [dk]churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim.
(LT)For I am God, and not man,
The Holy One in your midst;
And I will not [dl]come with terror.
10 “They shall walk after the Lord.
(LU)He will roar like a lion.
When He roars,
Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;
11 They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt,
(LV)Like a dove from the land of Assyria.
(LW)And I will let them dwell in their houses,”
Says the Lord.
God’s Charge Against Ephraim
12 “Ephraim has encircled Me with lies,
And the house of Israel with deceit;
But Judah still walks with God,
Even with the [dm]Holy One who is faithful.
Ephraim’s Sins Rebuked by God
12 “Ephraim (LX)feeds on the wind,
And pursues the east wind;
He daily increases lies and [dn]desolation.
(LY)Also they make a [do]covenant with the Assyrians,
And (LZ)oil is carried to Egypt.
2 “The(MA) Lord also brings a [dp]charge against Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
According to his deeds He will recompense him.
3 He took his brother (MB)by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he (MC)struggled with God.
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in (MD)Bethel,
And there He spoke to us—
5 That is, the Lord God of hosts.
The Lord is His (ME)memorable name.
6 (MF)So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually.
7 “A cunning [dq]Canaanite!
(MG)Deceitful scales are in his hand;
He loves to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said,
(MH)‘Surely I have become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors
They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’
9 “But I am the Lord your God,
Ever since the land of Egypt;
(MI)I will again make you dwell in tents,
As in the days of the appointed feast.
10 (MJ)I have also spoken by the prophets,
And have multiplied visions;
I have given [dr]symbols [ds]through the witness of the prophets.”
11 Though (MK)Gilead has idols—
Surely they are [dt]vanity—
Though they sacrifice bulls in (ML)Gilgal,
Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.
12 Jacob (MM)fled to the country of Syria;
(MN)Israel served for a spouse,
And for a wife he tended sheep.
13 (MO)By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
And by a prophet he was preserved.
14 Ephraim (MP)provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
(MQ)And return his reproach upon him.
Relentless Judgment on Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, trembling,
He exalted himself in Israel;
But when he offended through Baal worship, he died.
2 Now they sin more and more,
And have made for themselves molded images,
Idols of their silver, according to their skill;
All of it is the work of craftsmen.
They say of them,
“Let [du]the men who sacrifice [dv]kiss the calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud
And like the early dew that passes away,
(MR)Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor
And like smoke from a chimney.
4 “Yet (MS)I am the Lord your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For (MT)there is no savior besides Me.
5 (MU)I [dw]knew you in the wilderness,
(MV)In the land of [dx]great drought.
6 (MW)When they had pasture, they were filled;
They were filled and their heart was exalted;
Therefore they forgot Me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.