³ “They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.^(H)
4 They are all adulterers,^(I)
    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,^(J)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.^(K)
6 Their hearts are like an oven;^(L)
    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,^(M)
    and none of them calls^(N) on me.

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

¹¹ “Ephraim is like a dove,^(T)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,^(U)
    now turning to Assyria.^(V)
12 When they go, I will throw my net^(W) 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^(X) to them,
    because they have strayed^(Y) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me^(Z) falsely.^(AA)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts^(AB)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,^[a] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,^(AC)
    but they turn away from me.^(AD)
15 I trained^(AE) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil^(AF) against me.
¹⁶ They do not turn to the Most High;^(AG)
    they are like a faulty bow.^(AH)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent^(AI) words.
For this they will be ridiculed^(AJ)
    in the land of Egypt.^(AK)

⁷ “They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.^(AX)
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.^(AY)
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.^(AZ)
8 Israel is swallowed up;^(BA)
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.^(BB)
9 For they have gone up to Assyria^(BC)
    like a wild donkey^(BD) wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.^(BE)
10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.^(BF)
They will begin to waste away^(BG)
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

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

⁵ What will you do^(CD) on the day of your appointed festivals,^(CE)
    on the feast days of the Lord?
⁶ Even if they escape from destruction,
    Egypt will gather them,^(CF)
    and Memphis^(CG) will bury them.^(CH)
Their treasures of silver^(CI) will be taken over by briers,
    and thorns^(CJ) will overrun their tents.
⁷ The days of punishment^(CK) are coming,
    the days of reckoning^(CL) are at hand.
    Let Israel know this.
Because your sins^(CM) are so many
    and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,^(CN)
    the inspired person a maniac.^(CO)
8 The prophet, along with my God,
    is the watchman over Ephraim,^[b]
yet snares^(CP) await him on all his paths,
    and hostility in the house of his God.^(CQ)
9 They have sunk deep into corruption,^(CR)
    as in the days of Gibeah.^(CS)
God will remember^(CT) their wickedness
    and punish them for their sins.^(CU)

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^(CV) on the fig^(CW) tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,^(CX)
    they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol^(CY)
    and became as vile as the thing they loved.
¹¹ Ephraim’s glory^(CZ) will fly away like a bird^(DA)—
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.^(DB)
12 Even if they rear children,
    I will bereave^(DC) them of every one.
Woe^(DD) to them
    when I turn away from them!^(DE)
13 I have seen Ephraim,^(DF) like Tyre,
    planted in a pleasant place.^(DG)
But Ephraim will bring out
    their children to the slayer.”^(DH)

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

¹⁵ “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,^(DJ)
    I hated them there.
Because of their sinful deeds,^(DK)
    I will drive them out of my house.
I will no longer love them;^(DL)
    all their leaders are rebellious.^(DM)
16 Ephraim^(DN) is blighted,
    their root is withered,
    they yield no fruit.^(DO)
Even if they bear children,
    I will slay^(DP) their cherished offspring.”

¹⁷ My God will reject^(DQ) them
    because they have not obeyed^(DR) him;
    they will be wanderers among the nations.^(DS)

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace^(L) to those on whom his favor rests.”

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,^(X)
    you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.^(Y)
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,^(Z)
31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”^(AA)