⁸ “Sound the trumpet^(A) in Gibeah,^(B)
    the horn in Ramah.^(C)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven^[a];^(D)
    lead on, Benjamin.
⁹ Ephraim will be laid waste^(E)
    on the day of reckoning.^(F)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.^(G)
10 Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.^(H)
I will pour out my wrath^(I) on them
    like a flood of water.
¹¹ Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.^[b](J)
12 I am like a moth^(K) to Ephraim,
    like rot^(L) to the people of Judah.

¹³ “When Ephraim^(M) saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,^(N)
    and sent to the great king for help.^(O)
But he is not able to cure^(P) you,
    not able to heal your sores.^(Q)
14 For I will be like a lion^(R) to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces^(S) and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.^(T)
15 Then I will return to my lair^(U)
    until they have borne their guilt^(V)
    and seek my face^(W)—
in their misery^(X)
    they will earnestly seek me.^(Y)”

⁴ “What can I do with you, Ephraim?^(AI)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.^(AJ)
5 Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth^(AK)—
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.^[c](AL)
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(AM)
    and acknowledgment^(AN) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(AO)
7 As at Adam,^[d] they have broken the covenant;^(AP)
    they were unfaithful^(AQ) to me there.
⁸ Gilead is a city of evildoers,^(AR)
    stained with footprints of blood.
⁹ As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^(AS)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder^(AT) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.^(AU)
10 I have seen a horrible^(AV) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.^(AW)

¹¹ “Also for you, Judah,
    a harvest^(AX) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^(AY) of my people,

³ “They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.^(BG)
4 They are all adulterers,^(BH)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
⁵ On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,^(BI)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.^(BJ)
6 Their hearts are like an oven;^(BK)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
⁷ All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,^(BL)
    and none of them calls^(BM) on me.

⁸ “Ephraim mixes^(BN) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
⁹ Foreigners sap his strength,^(BO)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
¹⁰ Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,^(BP)
    but despite all this
he does not return^(BQ) to the Lord his God
    or search^(BR) for him.

¹¹ “Ephraim is like a dove,^(BS)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,^(BT)
    now turning to Assyria.^(BU)
12 When they go, I will throw my net^(BV) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
¹³ Woe^(BW) to them,
    because they have strayed^(BX) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me^(BY) falsely.^(BZ)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts^(CA)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,^[e] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,^(CB)
    but they turn away from me.^(CC)
15 I trained^(CD) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil^(CE) against me.
¹⁶ They do not turn to the Most High;^(CF)
    they are like a faulty bow.^(CG)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent^(CH) words.
For this they will be ridiculed^(CI)
    in the land of Egypt.^(CJ)

⁷ “They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.^(M)
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.^(N)
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.^(O)
8 Israel is swallowed up;^(P)
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.^(Q)
9 For they have gone up to Assyria^(R)
    like a wild donkey^(S) wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.^(T)
10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.^(U)
They will begin to waste away^(V)
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

¹¹ “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
    these have become altars for sinning.^(W)
12 I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.^(X)
13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me,
    and though they eat^(Y) the meat,
    the Lord is not pleased with them.^(Z)
Now he will remember^(AA) their wickedness
    and punish their sins:^(AB)
    They will return to Egypt.^(AC)
14 Israel has forgotten^(AD) their Maker^(AE)
    and built palaces;
    Judah has fortified many towns.
But I will send fire on their cities
    that will consume their fortresses.”^(AF)

⁵ What will you do^(AS) on the day of your appointed festivals,^(AT)
    on the feast days of the Lord?
⁶ Even if they escape from destruction,
    Egypt will gather them,^(AU)
    and Memphis^(AV) will bury them.^(AW)
Their treasures of silver^(AX) will be taken over by briers,
    and thorns^(AY) will overrun their tents.
⁷ The days of punishment^(AZ) are coming,
    the days of reckoning^(BA) are at hand.
    Let Israel know this.
Because your sins^(BB) are so many
    and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,^(BC)
    the inspired person a maniac.^(BD)
8 The prophet, along with my God,
    is the watchman over Ephraim,^[a]
yet snares^(BE) await him on all his paths,
    and hostility in the house of his God.^(BF)
9 They have sunk deep into corruption,^(BG)
    as in the days of Gibeah.^(BH)
God will remember^(BI) their wickedness
    and punish them for their sins.^(BJ)

¹⁰ “When I found Israel,
    it was like finding grapes in the desert;
when I saw your ancestors,
    it was like seeing the early fruit^(BK) on the fig^(BL) tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,^(BM)
    they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol^(BN)
    and became as vile as the thing they loved.
¹¹ Ephraim’s glory^(BO) will fly away like a bird^(BP)—
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.^(BQ)
12 Even if they rear children,
    I will bereave^(BR) them of every one.
Woe^(BS) to them
    when I turn away from them!^(BT)
13 I have seen Ephraim,^(BU) like Tyre,
    planted in a pleasant place.^(BV)
But Ephraim will bring out
    their children to the slayer.”^(BW)

¹⁴ Give them, Lord—
    what will you give them?
Give them wombs that miscarry
    and breasts that are dry.^(BX)

¹⁵ “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,^(BY)
    I hated them there.
Because of their sinful deeds,^(BZ)
    I will drive them out of my house.
I will no longer love them;^(CA)
    all their leaders are rebellious.^(CB)
16 Ephraim^(CC) is blighted,
    their root is withered,
    they yield no fruit.^(CD)
Even if they bear children,
    I will slay^(CE) their cherished offspring.”

¹⁷ My God will reject^(CF) them
    because they have not obeyed^(CG) him;
    they will be wanderers among the nations.^(CH)