5:3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest wh.o.r.edom, and Israel is defiled.
5:4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their G.o.d: for the spirit of wh.o.r.edoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.
5:5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.
5:6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
5:7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
5:8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.
5:9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.
5:10 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
5:11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.
5:12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the a.s.syrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
5:14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
6:4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
6:5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of G.o.d more than burnt offerings.
6:7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
6:8 Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
6:9 And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
6:10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the wh.o.r.edom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
6:11 Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.
7:1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
7:2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
7:3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
7:4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
7:5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
7:6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7:7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
7:8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
7:9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
7:10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their G.o.d, nor seek him for all this.
7:11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to a.s.syria.
7:12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
7:13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
7:14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they a.s.semble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
7:15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
7:16 They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
8:1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespa.s.sed against my law.
8:2 Israel shall cry unto me, My G.o.d, we know thee.
8:3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.
8:4 They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
8:5 Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? 8:6 For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not G.o.d: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
8:7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.
8:8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
8:9 For they are gone up to a.s.syria, a wild a.s.s alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
8:10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.
8:11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.