1
When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
b[Amos 6:13] he was exalted in Israel,
but he incurred guiltcSee ch. 11:2 through Baal and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
anddch. 2:8 make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
e[Ps. 115:4; Isa. 40:19, 20] all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them,
“Those who offer human sacrificef[1 Kgs. 19:18; Job 31:26, 27] kiss calves! ”
3 Therefore they shall begch. 6:4 like the morning mist
orgch. 6:4 like the dew that goes early away,
hSee Ps. 1:4 like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
oriSee Ps. 68:2 like smoke from a window.
4 Butjch. 12:9 I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
kSee Ex. 20:3 you know no God but me,
andlIsa. 43:11; 45:21 besides me there is no savior.
5 mDeut. 2:7; Amos 3:2 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 n[ch. 4:7] but when they had grazed, they became full,
oDeut. 8:12, 14; [Deut. 32:15] they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
oDeut. 8:12, 14; [Deut. 32:15] therefore they forgot me.
7 Sopch. 5:14 I am to them like a lion;
qJer. 5:6 like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon themr2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12 like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
s[ch. 2:12] as a wild beast would rip them open.
9 He destroys1Or I will destroy you, O Israel,
for you are against me, againstt[Deut. 33:26] your helper.
10 u[ch. 8:4; 10:3] Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—
those of whomv1 Sam. 8:5, 19 you said,
“Give me a king and princes ”?
11 w[1 Sam. 8:22] I gave you a king in my anger,
andx[1 Sam. 15:23] I took him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim isyJob 14:17 bound up;
his sin isyJob 14:17 kept in store.
13 zIsa. 13:8; 1 Thess. 5:3 The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
a[2 Kgs. 19:3] at the opening of the womb.
14 bIsa. 25:8; 26:19; Ezek. 37:12 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol?
bIsa. 25:8; 26:19; Ezek. 37:12 Shall I redeem them from Death?
c[1 Cor. 15:55] Od[Ezek. 14:21] Death, where are your plagues?
c[1 Cor. 15:55] Od[Ezek. 14:21] Sheol, where is your sting?
e[Ezek. 9:10] Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15 Thoughf[Gen. 41:52] he may flourish among his brothers,
g[Ezek. 19:12; Jonah 4:8; Hab. 1:9] the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come,
rising from the wilderness,
h[Ezek. 17:10] and his fountain shall dry up;
his spring shall be parched;
it shall stripi[ch. 12:8] his treasury
of every precious thing.
16 Samariaj[Hab. 1:11] shall bear her guilt,
becausek2 Kgs. 18:12 she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword;
l[ch. 9:12; 10:14] their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
and theirm[2 Kgs. 8:12; 15:16; Amos 1:13] pregnant women ripped open.