Bible in 90 Days
Daniel’s Prayer
9 In the first year of Darius,(A) the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans: 2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.(B) 3 So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.(C)
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God(D) who keeps His gracious covenant(E) with those who love Him(F) and keep His commands(G)— 5 we have sinned,(H) done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled,(I) and turned away from Your commands and ordinances.(J) 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets,(K) who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, fathers, and all the people of the land.
7 Lord, righteousness belongs to You,(L) but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel—those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where You have dispersed them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward You. 8 Lord, public shame(M) belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.(N) 9 Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against Him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following His instructions that He set before us through His servants(O) the prophets.
11 All Israel has broken Your law and turned away,(P) refusing to obey You. The promised curse[a] written in the law of Moses,(Q) the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against Him. 12 He has carried out His words(R) that He spoke against us and against our rulers[b](S) by bringing on us so great a disaster that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done(T) under all of heaven. 13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses,(U) all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not appeased(V) the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to Your truth.(W) 14 So the Lord kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all He has done. But we have not obeyed Him.
15 Now, Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand(X) and made Your name renowned(Y) as it is this day, we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. 16 Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, may Your anger and wrath(Z) turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain;(AA) for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us.
17 Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of Your servant. Show Your favor(AB) to Your desolate sanctuary(AC) for the Lord’s sake. 18 Listen,[c] my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city called by Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but based on Your abundant compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for Your own sake, do not delay,(AD) because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.
The 70 Weeks of Years
20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel,(AE) and presenting my petition before Yahweh my God concerning the holy mountain of my God— 21 while I was praying, Gabriel,(AF) the man I had seen in the first vision,(AG) came to me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering.(AH) 22 He gave me this explanation: “Daniel, I’ve come now to give you understanding.(AI) 23 At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured by God.(AJ) So consider the message and understand the vision:(AK)
24 Seventy weeks[d] are decreed(AL)
about your people and your holy city—
to bring the rebellion to an end,
to put a stop to sin,
to wipe away iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness,(AM)
to seal up vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the most holy place.
25 Know and understand this:
From the issuing of the decree
to restore and rebuild Jerusalem(AN)
until Messiah(AO) the Prince[e]
will be seven weeks and 62 weeks.[f]
It will be rebuilt with a plaza and a moat,
but in difficult times.
26 After those 62 weeks[g]
the Messiah will be cut off(AP)
and will have nothing.
The people of the coming prince
will destroy the city(AQ) and the sanctuary.
The[h] end will come with a flood,(AR)
and until the end there will be[i] war;
desolations are decreed.
27 He will make a firm covenant[j]
with many for one week,[k]
but in the middle of the week
he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering.
And the abomination of desolation(AS)
will be on a wing(AT) of the temple[l][m]
until the decreed destruction(AU)
is poured out on the desolator.”
Vision of a Glorious One
10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia,(AV) a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar.(AW) The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision.(AX)
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.(AY) 3 I didn’t eat any rich food,(AZ) no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month,[n] as I was standing on the bank of the great river,(BA) the Tigris, 5 I looked up, and there was a man dressed in linen,(BB) with a belt of gold(BC) from Uphaz[o](BD) around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz,[p] his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches,(BE) his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.(BF)
7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision.(BG) The men who were with me did not see it,(BH) but a great terror fell on them,(BI) and they ran and hid. 8 I was left alone, looking at this great vision.(BJ) No strength was left in me; my face grew deathly pale,[q](BK) and I was powerless. 9 I heard the words he said, and when I heard them I fell into a deep sleep,[r](BL) with my face to the ground.
Angelic Conflict
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me and raised me to my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God.(BM) Understand the words that I’m saying to you. Stand on your feet,(BN) for I have now been sent to you.”(BO) After he said this to me, I stood trembling.
12 “Don’t be afraid,(BP) Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God,(BQ) your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.(BR) 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael,(BS) one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia.(BT) 14 Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days,(BU) for the vision refers to those days.”(BV)
15 While he was saying these words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and was speechless.(BW) 16 Suddenly one with human likeness(BX) touched my lips.(BY) I opened my mouth and said to the one standing in front of me, “My lord, because of the vision, anguish overwhelms me and I am powerless.(BZ) 17 How can someone like me,(CA) your servant,[s] speak with someone like you, my lord? Now I have no strength, and there is no breath in me.”
18 Then the one with human likeness touched me again and strengthened me.(CB) 19 He said, “Don’t be afraid,(CC) you who are[t] treasured by God.(CD) Peace to you; be very strong!”(CE)
As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”(CF)
20 He said, “Do you know why I’ve come to you? I must return at once to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I leave, the prince of Greece will come.(CG) 21 No one has the courage to support me against them except Michael,(CH) your prince. However, I will tell you what is recorded in the book of truth. 11 1 In the first year of Darius the Mede,(CI) I stood up to strengthen and protect him. 2 Now I will tell you the truth.(CJ)
Prophecies about Persia and Greece
“Three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than the others. By the power he gains through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.(CK) 3 Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants.(CL) 4 But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of heaven,(CM) but not to his descendants; it will not be the same kingdom that he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and will go to others besides them.(CN)
Kings of the South and the North
5 “The king of the South(CO) will grow powerful, but one of his commanders will grow more powerful and will rule a kingdom greater than his. 6 After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North(CP) to seal the agreement. She will not retain power, and his strength will not endure. She will be given up, together with her entourage, her father,[u] and the one who supported her during those times. 7 In the place of the king of the South, one from her family[v] will rise up, come against the army, and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will take action against them and triumph. 8 He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious articles of silver and gold.(CQ) For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, 9 who will enter the kingdom of the king of the South and then return to his own land.
10 “His sons will mobilize for war and assemble a large number of armed forces. They will advance, sweeping through like a flood,[w](CR) and will again wage war as far as his fortress. 11 Infuriated, the king of the South will march out to fight with the king of the North who will raise a large army but they will be handed over to his enemy. 12 When the army is carried off, he will become arrogant and cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph. 13 The king of the North will again raise a multitude larger than the first. After some years[x](CS) he will advance with a great army and many supplies.
14 “In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will assert themselves to fulfill a vision, but they will fail. 15 Then the king of the North will come, build up an assault ramp,(CT) and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their select troops will not be able to resist. 16 The king of the North who comes against him will do whatever he wants,(CU) and no one can oppose him. He will establish himself in the beautiful land[y](CV) with total destruction in his hand. 17 He will resolve(CW) to come with the force of his whole kingdom and will reach an agreement with him.[z] He will give him a daughter in marriage[aa] to destroy it,[ab] but she will not stand with him or support him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coasts and islands[ac](CX) and capture many. But a commander will put an end to his taunting; instead, he will turn his taunts against him.(CY) 19 He will turn his attention back to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble, fall,(CZ) and be no more.(DA)
20 “In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector(DB) for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger[ad] or in battle.
21 “In his place a despised(DC) person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come during a time of peace[ae](DD) and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 A flood of forces will be swept away before him; they will be shattered, as well as the covenant prince. 23 After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully. He will rise to power with a small nation.[af] 24 During a time of peace,[ag] he will come into the richest parts of the province(DE) and do what his fathers and predecessors never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will make plans against fortified cities, but only for a time.
25 “With a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will prepare for battle with an extremely large and powerful army, but he will not succeed, because plots will be made against him. 26 Those who eat his provisions(DF) will destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. 27 The two kings, whose hearts are bent on evil, will speak lies(DG) at the same table but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.(DH) 28 The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant;[ah] he will take action, then return to his own land.
29 “At the appointed time he will come again to the South, but this time[ai] will not be like the first. 30 Ships of Kittim[aj](DI) will come against him, and being intimidated, he will withdraw. Then he will rage against the holy covenant and take action. On his return, he will favor those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice(DJ) and set up the abomination of desolation.(DK) 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.(DL) 33 Those who are wise among the people(DM) will give understanding to many, yet they will die by sword and flame,(DN) and be captured and plundered for a time. 34 When defeated, they will be helped by some, but many others will join them insincerely.(DO) 35 Some of the wise will fall so that they may be refined,(DP) purified, and cleansed(DQ) until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
36 “Then the king will do whatever he wants.(DR) He will exalt and magnify himself above every god,(DS) and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods.(DT) He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed,(DU) because what has been decreed will be accomplished. 37 He will not show regard for the gods[ak] of his fathers, the god longed for by women, or for any other god,(DV) because he will magnify himself above all. 38 Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. 39 He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will greatly honor those who acknowledge him,[al] making them rulers over many and distributing land as a reward.
40 “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm against him(DW) with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries and sweep through them like a flood.(DX) 41 He will also invade the beautiful land,(DY) and many will fall. But these will escape from his power: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people[am] of the Ammonites.(DZ) 42 He will extend his power against the countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. 43 He will get control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will also be in submission.[an](EA) 44 But reports from the east(EB) and the north will terrify him, and he will go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and[ao] the beautiful holy mountain,(EC) but he will meet his end with no one to help him.
12 At that time
Michael(ED) the great prince
who stands watch over your people will rise up.
There will be a time of distress(EE)
such as never has occurred(EF)
since nations came into being until that time.(EG)
But at that time all your people
who are found written in the book(EH) will escape.(EI)
2 Many of those who sleep in the dust(EJ)
of the earth will awake,
some to eternal life,(EK)
and some to shame and eternal contempt.(EL)
3 Those who are wise will shine
like the bright expanse of the heavens,(EM)
and those who lead many to righteousness,(EN)
like the stars forever and ever.
4 “But you, Daniel, keep these words secret(EO) and seal the book(EP) until the time of the end.(EQ) Many will roam about,(ER) and knowledge will increase.”[ap]
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others were standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the other. 6 One of them said to the man dressed in linen,(ES) who was above the waters of the river,(ET) “How long until the end(EU) of these extraordinary things?” 7 Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river. He raised both his hands[aq](EV) toward heaven and swore by Him who lives eternally(EW) that it would be for a time, times, and half a time.(EX) When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed.
8 I heard but did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”(EY)
9 He said, “Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret(EZ) and sealed until the time of the end.(FA) 10 Many will be purified,(FB) cleansed, and refined,(FC) but the wicked will act wickedly;(FD) none of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.(FE) 11 From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation(FF) is set up,(FG) there will be 1,290 days. 12 The one who waits(FH) for and reaches 1,335 days is blessed. 13 But as for you, go on your way to the end;[ar] you will rest, then rise(FI) to your destiny at the end of the days.”
1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah,(FJ) Jotham,(FK) Ahaz,(FL) and Hezekiah,(FM) kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam(FN) son of Jehoash, king of Israel.
Hosea’s Marriage and Children
2 When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:
Go and marry a promiscuous wife(FO)
and have children of promiscuity,
for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity
by abandoning the Lord.
3 So he went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.(FP) 4 Then the Lord said to him:
Name him Jezreel,(FQ) for in a little while
I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel(FR)
on the house of Jehu(FS)
and put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel(FT)
in the Valley of Jezreel.[as](FU)
6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, and the Lord said to him:
Name her No Compassion,[at]
for I will no longer have compassion
on the house of Israel.
I will certainly take them away.
7 But I will have compassion on the house of Judah,(FV)
and I will deliver them by the Lord their God.(FW)
I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war,
or by horses and cavalry.(FX)
8 After Gomer had weaned No Compassion, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 Then the Lord said:
Name him Not My People,[au]
for you are not My people,
and I will not be your God.[av](FY)
10 [aw]Yet the number of the Israelites
will be like the sand of the sea,(FZ)
which cannot be measured or counted.
And in the place where they were told:
You are not My people,
they will be called: Sons of the living God.(GA)
11 And the Judeans and the Israelites
will be gathered together.(GB)
They will appoint for themselves a single ruler(GC)
and go up from[ax] the land.
For the day of Jezreel(GD) will be great.
2 [ay]Call[az] your brothers: My People
and your sisters: Compassion.
Israel’s Adultery Rebuked
2 Rebuke your mother; rebuke her.(GE)
For she is not My wife and I am not her husband.(GF)
Let her remove the promiscuous look from her face(GG)
and her adultery from between her breasts.
3 Otherwise, I will strip her naked(GH)
and expose her as she was on the day of her birth.
I will make her like a desert(GI)
and like a parched land,
and I will let her die of thirst.(GJ)
4 I will have no compassion on her children(GK)
because they are the children of promiscuity.
5 Yes, their mother is promiscuous;
she conceived them and acted shamefully.(GL)
For she thought, “I will go after my lovers,(GM)
the men who give me my food and water,
my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”(GN)
6 Therefore, this is what I will do:
I will block her[ba] way(GO) with thorns;(GP)
I will enclose her with a wall,
so that she cannot find her paths.(GQ)
7 She will pursue her lovers but not catch them;(GR)
she will seek them but not find them.
Then she will think,
“I will go back to my former husband,(GS)
for then it was better for me than now.”(GT)
8 She does not recognize(GU)
that it is I who gave her the grain,(GV)
the new wine, and the oil.
I lavished silver and gold on her,
which they used for Baal.
9 Therefore, I will take back My grain in its time(GW)
and My new wine in its season;
I will take away My wool and linen,
which were to cover her nakedness.
10 Now I will expose her shame(GX)
in the sight of her lovers,
and no one will rescue her from My hands.
11 I will put an end to all her celebrations:(GY)
her feasts,(GZ) New Moons,(HA) and Sabbaths—
all her festivals.
12 I will devastate her vines and fig trees.(HB)
She thinks that these are her wages
that her lovers have given her.
I will turn them into a thicket,(HC)
and the wild animals will eat them.(HD)
13 And I will punish her for the days of the Baals(HE)
when she burned incense to them,(HF)
put on her rings and jewelry,(HG)
and went after her lovers,
but forgot Me.(HH)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Israel’s Adultery Forgiven
14 Therefore, I am going to persuade her,
lead her to the wilderness,(HI)
and speak tenderly to her.[bb]
15 There I will give her vineyards back to her(HJ)
and make the Valley of Achor[bc](HK)
into a gateway of hope.
There she will respond as she did
in the days of her youth,(HL)
as in the day she came out of the land of Egypt.
16 In that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
you will call Me, “My husband,”(HM)
and no longer call Me, “My Baal.”[bd]
17 For I will remove the names of the Baals
from her mouth;
they will no longer be remembered by their names.
18 On that day I will make a covenant for them
with the wild animals, the birds of the sky,
and the creatures that crawl on the ground.(HN)
I will shatter bow, sword,
and weapons of war in the land[be](HO)
and will enable the people to rest securely.(HP)
19 I will take you to be My wife forever.(HQ)
I will take you to be My wife in righteousness,
justice, love, and compassion.(HR)
20 I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness,
and you will know Yahweh.(HS)
21 On that day I will respond(HT)—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
I will respond to the sky,
and it will respond to the earth.
22 The earth will respond to the grain,(HU)
the new wine, and the oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.
23 I will sow her[bf] in the land for Myself,(HV)
and I will have compassion(HW)
on No Compassion;
I will say(HX) to Not My People:(HY)
You are My people,(HZ)
and he will say, “You are My God.”
Waiting for Restoration
3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress,(IA) just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”(IB)
2 So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and five bushels of barley.[bg][bh](IC) 3 I said to her, “You must live with me many days. Don’t be promiscuous or belong to any man, and I will act the same way toward you.”
4 For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince,(ID) without sacrifice(IE) or sacred pillar,(IF) and without ephod(IG) or household idols.(IH) 5 Afterward, the people of Israel will return(II) and seek the Lord their God and David their king.(IJ) They will come with awe to the Lord(IK) and to His goodness in the last days.
God’s Case against Israel
4 Hear the word of the Lord,(IL) people of Israel,
for the Lord has a case(IM)
against the inhabitants of the land:
There is no truth,(IN) no faithful love,(IO)
and no knowledge of God(IP) in the land!
2 Cursing,(IQ) lying,(IR) murder,(IS) stealing,(IT)
and adultery(IU) are rampant;
one act of bloodshed follows another.(IV)
3 For this reason the land mourns,(IW)
and everyone who lives in it languishes,
along with the wild animals(IX) and the birds of the sky;
even the fish of the sea disappear.(IY)
4 But let no one dispute;(IZ) let no one argue,
for My case is against you priests.[bi][bj](JA)
5 You will stumble by day;(JB)
the prophet will also stumble with you by night.
And I will destroy your mother.(JC)
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.(JD)
Because you have rejected knowledge,(JE)
I will reject you(JF) from serving as My priest.
Since you have forgotten the law of your God,(JG)
I will also forget your sons.
7 The more they multiplied,(JH)
the more they sinned against Me.
I[bk] will change their honor[bl] into disgrace.(JI)
8 They feed on the sin[bm] of My people;(JJ)
they have an appetite for their transgressions.(JK)
9 The same judgment will happen
to both people and priests.(JL)
I will punish them for their ways(JM)
and repay them for their deeds.
10 They will eat but not be satisfied;(JN)
they will be promiscuous(JO) but not multiply.
For they have abandoned their devotion to the Lord.(JP)
11 Promiscuity,(JQ) wine, and new wine
take away one’s understanding.(JR)
12 My people consult their wooden idols,(JS)
and their divining rods inform them.
For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray;(JT)
they act promiscuously(JU)
in disobedience to[bn] their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops,(JV)
and they burn offerings on the hills,(JW)
and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,(JX)
because their shade is pleasant.
And so your daughters act promiscuously
and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters
when they act promiscuously
or your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
for the men themselves go off with prostitutes(JY)
and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes.(JZ)
People without discernment are doomed.(KA)
Warnings for Israel and Judah
15 Israel, if you act promiscuously,
don’t let Judah become guilty!
Do not go to Gilgal(KB)
or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven,[bo](KC)
and do not swear an oath: As the Lord lives!(KD)
16 For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow.(KE)
Can the Lord now shepherd them
like a lamb in an open meadow?(KF)
17 Ephraim is attached to idols;(KG)
leave him alone!(KH)
18 When their drinking is over,
they turn to promiscuity.
Israel’s leaders[bp] fervently love disgrace.[bq]
19 A wind with its wings will carry them off,[br](KI)
and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
5 Hear this, priests!(KJ)
Pay attention, house of Israel!
Listen, royal house!
For the judgment applies to you
because you have been a snare at Mizpah(KK)
and a net spread out on Tabor.
2 Rebels(KL) are deeply involved in slaughter;(KM)
I will be a punishment for all of them.[bs]
3 I know Ephraim,(KN)
and Israel is not hidden from Me.
For now, Ephraim,(KO)
you have acted promiscuously;
Israel is defiled.
4 Their actions do not allow them
to return to their God,(KP)
for a spirit of promiscuity is among them,(KQ)
and they do not know the Lord.(KR)
5 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them.[bt](KS)
Both Israel and Ephraim stumble
because of their wickedness;(KT)
even Judah will stumble with them.(KU)
6 They go with their flocks and herds
to seek the Lord(KV)
but do not find Him;(KW)
He has withdrawn from them.(KX)
7 They betrayed the Lord;(KY)
indeed, they gave birth to illegitimate children.(KZ)
Now the New Moon(LA) will devour them
along with their fields.(LB)
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah,(LC)
the trumpet in Ramah;(LD)
raise the war cry in Beth-aven:(LE)
After you, Benjamin!(LF)
9 Ephraim will become a desolation(LG)
on the day of punishment;(LH)
I announce what is certain
among the tribes of Israel.(LI)
10 The princes of Judah are like those
who move boundary markers;(LJ)
I will pour out My fury(LK) on them like water.(LL)
11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,(LM)
for he is determined to follow what is worthless.[bu]
12 So I am like rot to Ephraim(LN)
and like decay to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness
and Judah his wound,
Ephraim went to Assyria(LO)
and sent a delegation to the great king.[bv](LP)
But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.(LQ)
14 For I am like a lion to Ephraim(LR)
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
Yes, I will tear them to pieces and depart.(LS)
I will carry them off,
and no one can rescue them.(LT)
15 I will depart and return to My place
until they recognize their guilt and seek My face;(LU)
they will search for Me in their distress.(LV)
A Call to Repentance
6 Come, let us return to the Lord.(LW)
For He has torn us,(LX)
and He will heal us;(LY)
He has wounded us,
and He will bind up our wounds.(LZ)
2 He will revive us after two days,(MA)
and on the third day He will raise us up
so we can live in His presence.(MB)
3 Let us strive to know the Lord.(MC)
His appearance is as sure as the dawn.(MD)
He will come to us like the rain,(ME)
like the spring showers that water the land.
The Lord’s First Lament
4 What am I going to do with you, Ephraim?(MF)
What am I going to do with you, Judah?
Your loyalty is like the morning mist(MG)
and like the early dew that vanishes.
5 This is why I have used the prophets
to cut them down;[bw](MH)
I have killed them with the words of My mouth.
My judgment strikes like lightning.[bx]
6 For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God(MI) rather than burnt offerings.(MJ)
7 But they, like Adam,[by] have violated the covenant;(MK)
there they have betrayed Me.(ML)
8 Gilead is a city of evildoers,(MM)
tracked with bloody footprints.(MN)
9 Like raiders who wait in ambush for someone,(MO)
a band of priests murders on the road to Shechem.(MP)
They commit atrocities.(MQ)
10 I have seen something horrible(MR) in the house of Israel:
Ephraim’s promiscuity is there;(MS) Israel is defiled.
11 A harvest is also appointed for you, Judah.(MT)
When I[bz] return My people from captivity,(MU)
7 when I heal Israel,(MV)
the sins of Ephraim(MW) and the crimes of Samaria(MX)
will be exposed.
For they practice fraud;(MY)
a thief breaks in;
a raiding party pillages outside.(MZ)
2 But they never consider that I remember all their evil.(NA)
Now their sins are all around them;(NB)
they are right in front of My face.
Israel’s Corruption
3 They please the king with their evil,(NC)
the princes with their lies.(ND)
4 All of them commit adultery;(NE)
they are like an oven heated by a baker
who stops stirring the fire
from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
5 On the day of our king,
the princes are sick with the heat of wine(NF)—
there is a conspiracy with traitors.[ca]
6 For they—their hearts like an oven—
draw him into their oven.
Their anger smolders all night;
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are as hot as an oven,(NG)
and they consume their rulers.(NH)
All their kings fall;
not one of them calls on Me.[cb]
8 Ephraim has allowed himself to get mixed up with the nations.
Ephraim is unturned bread baked on a griddle.
9 Foreigners consume his strength,(NI)
but he does not notice.(NJ)
Even his hair is streaked with gray,
but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them,[cc](NK)
yet they do not return to Yahweh their God,(NL)
and for all this, they do not seek Him.
11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove;(NM)
they call to Egypt,(NN) and they go to Assyria.(NO)
12 As they are going, I will spread My net over them;(NP)
I will bring them down like birds of the sky.
I will discipline them in accordance
with the news that reaches[cd] their assembly.
The Lord’s Second Lament
13 Woe to them,(NQ) for they fled from Me;(NR)
destruction to them, for they rebelled against Me!
Though I want to redeem them,(NS)
they speak lies against Me.
14 They do not cry to Me from their hearts;
rather, they wail on their beds.
They slash themselves[ce](NT) for grain and new wine;(NU)
they turn away from Me.
15 I trained and strengthened their arms,(NV)
but they plot evil against Me.(NW)
16 They turn, but not to what is above;[cf]
they are like a faulty bow.(NX)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
because of the cursing of their tongue.(NY)
They will be ridiculed for this in the land of Egypt.(NZ)
Israel’s False Hopes
8 Put the horn to your mouth!(OA)
One like an eagle comes
against the house of the Lord,(OB)
because they transgress My covenant(OC)
and rebel against My law.(OD)
2 Israel cries out to Me,(OE)
“My God, we know You!”
3 Israel has rejected what is good;(OF)
an enemy will pursue him.
4 They have installed kings,(OG)
but not through Me.
They have appointed leaders,
but without My approval.
They make their silver and gold(OH)
into idols for themselves
for their own destruction.[cg]
5 Your calf-idol[ch](OI) is rejected, Samaria.(OJ)
My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of innocence?(OK)
6 For this thing is from Israel—
a craftsman made it,(OL) and it is not God.
The calf of Samaria will be smashed to bits!
7 Indeed, they sow the wind(OM)
and reap the whirlwind.(ON)
There is no standing grain;
what sprouts fails to yield flour.(OO)
Even if they did,
foreigners would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up!(OP)
Now they are among the nations
like discarded pottery.(OQ)
9 For they have gone up to Assyria(OR)
like a wild donkey going off on its own.
Ephraim has paid for love.(OS)
10 Even though they hire lovers among the nations,
I will now round them up,
and they will begin to decrease in number(OT)
under the burden of the king and leaders.(OU)
11 When Ephraim multiplied his altars for sin,(OV)
they became his altars for sinning.
12 Though I were to write out for him
ten thousand points of My instruction,(OW)
they would be[ci] regarded as something strange.
13 Though they offer sacrificial gifts[cj](OX)
and eat the flesh,(OY)
the Lord does not accept them.
Now He will remember their guilt(OZ)
and punish their sins;(PA)
they will return to Egypt.(PB)
14 Israel has forgotten his Maker(PC) and built palaces;(PD)
Judah has also multiplied fortified cities.
I will send fire on their cities,(PE)
and it will consume their citadels.
The Coming Exile
9 Israel, do not rejoice jubilantly as the nations do,(PF)
for you have acted promiscuously,(PG) leaving your God.
You have loved the wages of a prostitute
on every grain-threshing floor.(PH)
2 Threshing floor and wine vat will not sustain them,(PI)
and the new wine will fail them.
3 They will not stay in the land of the Lord.
Instead, Ephraim will return to Egypt,(PJ)
and they will eat unclean food(PK) in Assyria.(PL)
4 They will not pour out
their wine offerings to the Lord,(PM)
and their sacrifices will not please Him.
Their food will be like the bread of mourners;
all who eat it become defiled.(PN)
For their bread will be for their appetites alone;
it will not enter the house of the Lord.
5 What will you do on a festival day,(PO)
on the day of the Lord’s feast?(PP)
6 For even if they flee from devastation,
Egypt will gather them, and Memphis will bury them.(PQ)
Thistles will take possession of their precious silver;
thorns will invade their tents.(PR)
7 The days of punishment have come;(PS)
the days of retribution have come.(PT)
Let Israel recognize it!
The prophet is a fool,(PU)
and the inspired man is insane,(PV)
because of the magnitude
of your guilt and hostility.(PW)
8 Ephraim’s watchman is with my God.
The prophet encounters a fowler’s snare
on all his ways.(PX)
Hostility is in the house of his God!
9 They have deeply corrupted themselves(PY)
as in the days of Gibeah.(PZ)
He will remember their guilt;
He will punish their sins.(QA)
Ephraim Bereaved of Offspring
10 I discovered Israel
like grapes in the wilderness.(QB)
I saw your fathers
like the first fruit of the fig tree in its first season.(QC)
But they went to Baal-peor,(QD)
consecrated themselves to Shame,[ck](QE)
and became detestable,(QF)
like the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird:(QG)
no birth, no gestation, no conception.(QH)
12 Even if they raise children,
I will bereave them of each one.
Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!(QI)
13 I have seen Ephraim like Tyre,(QJ)
planted in a meadow,
so Ephraim will bring out his children
to the executioner.
14 Give them, Lord—
What should You give?
Give them a womb that miscarries
and breasts that are dry!(QK)
15 All their evil appears at Gilgal,(QL)
for there I came to hate them.
I will drive them from My house
because of their evil, wicked actions.(QM)
I will no longer love them;
all their leaders are rebellious.(QN)
16 Ephraim(QO) is struck down;
their roots are withered;
they cannot bear fruit.(QP)
Even if they bear children,
I will kill the precious offspring of their wombs.(QQ)
17 My God will reject them
because they have not listened to Him;(QR)
they will become wanderers among the nations.(QS)
The Vine and the Calf
10 Israel is a lush[cl] vine;(QT)
it yields fruit for itself.
The more his fruit increased,
the more he increased the altars.(QU)
The better his land produced,
the better they made the sacred pillars.(QV)
2 Their hearts are devious;[cm](QW)
now they must bear their guilt.(QX)
The Lord will break down their altars(QY)
and demolish their sacred pillars.
3 In fact, they are now saying,
“We have no king!
For we do not fear the Lord.(QZ)
What can a king do for us?”
4 They speak mere words,
taking false oaths while making covenants.(RA)
So lawsuits break out
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.(RB)
5 The residents of Samaria(RC) will have anxiety
over the calf(RD) of Beth-aven.(RE)
Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it;
the people will mourn over it,
over its glory.(RF)
It will certainly depart from them.
6 The calf itself will be taken to Assyria(RG)
as an offering to the great king.[cn](RH)
Ephraim will experience shame;(RI)
Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.(RJ)
7 Samaria’s king will disappear[co](RK)
like foam[cp] on the surface of the water.
8 The high places(RL) of Aven, the sin of Israel,(RM)
will be destroyed;
thorns and thistles will grow over their altars.(RN)
They will say to the mountains,(RO) “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall on us!”(RP)
Israel’s Defeat because of Sin
9 Israel, you have sinned
since the days of Gibeah;(RQ)
they have taken their stand there.
Will not war against the unjust
overtake them in Gibeah?
10 I will discipline(RR) them at My discretion;(RS)
nations will be gathered against them
to put them in bondage[cq]
for their two crimes.(RT)
11 Ephraim is a well-trained calf(RU)
that loves to thresh,
but I will place a yoke on[cr] her fine neck.(RV)
I will harness Ephraim;(RW)
Judah will plow;
Jacob will do the final plowing.
12 Sow righteousness for yourselves(RX)
and reap faithful love;
break up your unplowed ground.(RY)
It is time to seek the Lord(RZ)
until He comes(SA) and sends righteousness
on you like the rain.(SB)
13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice;(SC)
you have eaten the fruit of lies.(SD)
Because you have trusted in your own way[cs]
and in your large number of soldiers,(SE)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
and all your fortifications will be demolished(SF)
in a day of war,
like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel.
Mothers will be dashed to pieces
along with their children.(SG)
15 So it will be done to you, Bethel,(SH)
because of your extreme evil.
At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.
The Lord’s Love for Israel
11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,(SI)
and out of Egypt I called My son.(SJ)
2 The more they[ct] called them,[cu](SK)
the more they[cv] departed from Me.[cw]
They kept sacrificing to the Baals(SL)
and burning offerings to idols.(SM)
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,(SN)
taking them[cx] in My arms,(SO)
but they never knew that I healed them.(SP)
4 I led them with human cords,
with ropes of love.(SQ)
To them I was like one
who eases the yoke from their jaws;(SR)
I bent down to give them food.(SS)
5 Israel will not return to the land of Egypt
and Assyria will be his king,(ST)
because they refused to repent.(SU)
6 A sword will whirl through his cities;(SV)
it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates,[cy](SW)
because of their schemes.(SX)
7 My people are bent on turning from Me.(SY)
Though they call to Him on high,
He will not exalt them at all.
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?(SZ)
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?(TA)
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?(TB)
I have had a change of heart;
My compassion is stirred!
9 I will not vent the full fury of My anger;(TC)
I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim.(TD)
For I am God and not man,
the Holy One among you;(TE)
I will not come in rage.[cz]
10 They will follow the Lord;(TF)
He will roar like a lion.(TG)
When He roars,
His children will come trembling from the west.(TH)
11 They will be roused like birds from Egypt
and like doves(TI) from the land of Assyria.(TJ)
Then I will settle them in their homes.(TK)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
12 [da] Ephraim surrounds me with lies,(TL)
the house of Israel, with deceit.
Judah still wanders with God
and is faithful to the holy ones.[db][dc]
God’s Case against Jacob’s Heirs
12 Ephraim chases[dd] the wind(TM)
and pursues the east wind.(TN)
He continually multiplies lies and violence.
He makes a covenant with Assyria,(TO)
and olive oil is carried to Egypt.(TP)
2 The Lord also has a dispute with Judah.
He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways;(TQ)
He will repay him based on his actions.
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel,(TR)
and as an adult he wrestled with God.(TS)
4 Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought His favor.(TT)
He found him[de] at Bethel,(TU)
and there He spoke with him.[df](TV)
5 Yahweh is the God of Hosts;
Yahweh is His name.(TW)
6 But you must return to your God.(TX)
Maintain love and justice,(TY)
and always put your hope in God.(TZ)
7 A merchant loves to extort(UA)
with dishonest scales in his hands.(UB)
8 But Ephraim says:
“How rich I have become;(UC)
I made it all myself.
In all my earnings,
no one can find any crime in me(UD)
that I can be punished for!”[dg]
Judgment on Apostate Israel
9 I have been Yahweh your God
ever since[dh] the land of Egypt.(UE)
I will make you live in tents again,(UF)
as in the festival days.
10 I spoke through the prophets(UG)
and granted many visions;
I gave parables through the prophets.(UH)
11 Since Gilead is full of evil,(UI)
they will certainly come to nothing.
They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;(UJ)
even their altars will be like heaps of rocks(UK)
on the furrows of a field.
Further Indictment of Jacob’s Heirs
12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram.(UL)
Israel worked to earn a wife;(UM)
he tended flocks for a wife.(UN)
13 The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet,(UO)
and Israel was tended by a prophet.
14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger,(UP)
so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him(UQ)
and repay him for his contempt.(UR)
13 When Ephraim spoke,(US) there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel.(UT)
But he incurred guilt through Baal(UU) and died.
2 Now they continue to sin
and make themselves a cast image,(UV)
idols skillfully made from their silver,(UW)
all of them the work of craftsmen.(UX)
People say about them,
“Let the men who sacrifice[di] kiss the calves.”(UY)
3 Therefore, they will be like the morning mist,(UZ)
like the early dew that vanishes,
like chaff blown from a threshing floor,(VA)
or like smoke from a window.(VB)
Death and Resurrection
4 I have been Yahweh your God(VC)
ever since[dj] the land of Egypt;
you know no God but Me,(VD)
and no Savior exists besides Me.(VE)
5 I knew[dk] you in the wilderness,(VF)
in the land of drought.
6 When they had pasture,
they became satisfied;(VG)
they were satisfied,
and their hearts became proud.(VH)
Therefore they forgot Me.(VI)
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