• Ephraim’s Wrongdoing

  • 1 When I would heal Israel, The wrongdoing of Ephraim is uncovered, And the evil deeds of Samaria, For they practice deception; The thief enters, A band of robbers attack outside,
  • 2 And they do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds surround them; They are before My face.
  • 3 With their wickedness they make the king happy, And the officials with their lies.
  • 4 They are all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker, Who stops stoking the fire From the time the dough is kneaded until it is leavened.
  • 5 On the day of our king, the officials became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers,
  • 6 For their hearts are like an oven As they approach their plotting; Their anger smolders all night, In the morning it burns like flaming fire.
  • 7 All of them are hot like an oven, And they consume their rulers; All their kings have fallen. None of them calls on Me.
  • 8 Ephraim is himself thrown about with the nations; Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.
  • 9 Strangers devour his strength, Yet he does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know it.
  • 10 Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, Nor have they sought Him, despite all this.
  • 11 So Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, without sense; They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
  • 12 When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will discipline them in accordance with the proclamation to their assembly.
  • 13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I would redeem them, but they have spoken lies against Me.
  • 14 And they do not cry to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds; For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves, They turn against Me.
  • 15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, Yet they devise evil against Me.
  • 16 They turn, but not upward, They are like a loose bow; Their officials will fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.