Beginning

1 The word of the Lord that was made to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah^[a], Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, son of Jehoash^[b], the king of Israel.

² The beginning of the speaking to the Lord in Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go thou, take to thee a wife of fornications, and make to thee sons of fornications, for the land doing fornication shall do fornication, (going away) from the Lord. (The beginning of the word of the Lord that came to Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go thou, take thee a wife of adulteries, or of idolatries, and make thee children of adulteries, for the land hath done adultery, or idolatry, going away from the Lord.)

³ And he went, and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and childed a son to him. (And he went, and took Gomer, Diblaim’s daughter; and she conceived, and gave birth to a son for him.)

⁴ And the Lord said to him, Call thou the name of him Jezreel; for yet a little, and I shall visit the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and I shall make to rest the realm of the house of Israel. (And the Lord said to him, Call thou his name Jezreel; for in a little while, I shall bring the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I shall bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.)

⁵ And in that day, I shall all-break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. (And on that day, I shall altogether break Israel’s bow, or their power, in the Jezreel Valley.)

⁶ And she conceived yet, and childed a daughter. And the Lord said to him, Call thou the name of her Without mercy, for I shall no more lay to, for to have mercy on the house of Israel, but by forgetting I shall forget them. (And she conceived again, and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to him, Call thou her name Loruhamah, or Without mercy, for I shall no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, but by forgetting I shall forget all about them.)

⁷ And I shall have mercy on the house of Judah, and I shall save them in their Lord God; and I shall not save them in bow, and sword, and battle, and in horses, and in horsemen, either knights. (But I shall have mercy on the house of Judah, and I shall save them by the Lord their God; and I shall not save them by bow, or sword, or battle, or by horses, or by horsemen, or knights.)

⁸ And (s)he weaned her that was Without mercy. And she conceived, and childed a son to him. (And she weaned Loruhamah. And then she conceived, and gave birth to another son.)

⁹ And he said, Call thou his name Not my people, for ye shall not be my people, and I shall not be your God. (And he said, Call thou his name Loammi, or Not my people, for ye shall not be my people, and I shall not be your God.)

¹⁰ And the number of the sons of Israel shall be as gravel of the sea, which gravel is without measure, and it shall not be numbered; and it shall be in the place, where it shall be said to them, Ye be not my people; it shall be said to them, Ye be the sons of God living. (And the number of the Israelites shall be like the sand of the sea, which sand is without measure, and it cannot be numbered, or counted; and it shall be in the place, where it was said to them, Ye be not my people, but then it shall be said to them, Ye be the children of the living God.)

¹¹ And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall set one head to themselves, and they shall go up from the earth, for the day of Jezreel is great. (And the people of Judah and the people of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall make one person to be their head, or their leader, and then they shall go up from their land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.)

2 Say ye to your brethren, They be my people; and to your sister(s), That (that) hath gotten mercy, (Say ye to your brothers, They be Ammi, or My People; and to your sisters, Ruhamah, or Ye be loved.)

² Deem ye your mother, deem ye, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Do she away her fornications from her face, and her adulteries from the midst of her breasts; (Plead ye with your mother, yea, plead ye with her, for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Do she away her adulteries, or her idolatries, from before her, and her adulteries from the midst of her breasts;)

³ lest peradventure I spoil her naked, and set her naked by the day of her nativity. And I shall set her as a wilderness, and I shall ordain her as a land without (a) way, and I shall slay her in thirst. (lest perhaps I strip her naked, yea, make her as naked as she was on the day of her birth. And I shall make her as bare as a wilderness, and I shall ordain her as a land without a way, and I shall kill her with thirst.)

⁴ And I shall not have mercy on the sons of her, for they be the sons of fornications; (And then I shall not have mercy on her children, for they be the children of adulteries, or of idolatries;)

⁵ for the mother of them did fornication, she is shamed that conceived them, for she said, I shall go after my lovers, that give [my] loaves to me, and my waters, and my wool, and my flax, and mine oil, and my drink. (for their mother did adultery, or idolatry, yea, she is shamed who conceived them, for she said, I shall go after my lovers, who give me my bread, and my water, and my wool, and my flax, and my oil, and my drink.)

⁶ For this thing, lo! I shall hedge thy way with thorns, and I shall hedge it (about) with a wall, and she shall not find her paths.

⁷ And she shall follow her lovers, and shall not (over)take them, and she shall seek them, and shall not find [them]; and she shall say, I shall go, and turn again to my former husband, for it was well to me then more than now. (And she shall follow after her lovers, but shall not overtake them, and she shall seek after them, but shall not find them; and then she shall say, I shall go, and return to my former husband, for it was better for me then, than it is now.)

⁸ And this Jerusalem knew not, that I gave to her wheat, wine, and oil; and I multiplied silver and gold to her, (of) which they made (offering) to Baal. (And this Jerusalem knew not, that it was I who gave her the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and I multiplied her silver and her gold, which they then offered to Baal.)

⁹ Therefore I shall turn (again), and take (back) my wheat in his time, and my wine in his time; and I shall deliver my wool, and my flax, by which they covered the shame thereof. (And so I shall return, and take back my corn in its time, and my wine in its time; and I shall take away my wool, and my flax, with which she covered her shame, or her nakedness.)

¹⁰ And now I shall show the folly of her before the eyes of her lovers, and a man shall not deliver her from mine hand; (And now I shall show her folly to her lovers, and no one shall be able to rescue her out of my hands;)

¹¹ and I shall make to cease all the joy thereof, the solemnity thereof, the new moon thereof, that is, the feast of the new moon, the sabbath thereof, and all the feast times thereof. (and I shall make to cease all her joy, and all her solemn feasts, yea, her new moons, that is, the feast of the new moon, and her sabbaths, and her other feasts.)

¹² And I shall destroy the vinery thereof, [and her fig tree,] of which she said, These be mine hires which my lovers gave to me; and I shall set it into a forest, and a beast of the field shall eat it. (And I shall destroy her vines, and her fig trees, of which she said, These be my wages which my lovers gave me; and I shall turn them into a forest, and the wild beasts shall eat them, or shall destroy them/and the beasts of the fields shall eat there.)

¹³ And I shall visit on it^[c] (for) the days of (the) Baalim, in which it burnt incense, and was adorned with her earring(s), and her brooch, and went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord. (And I shall punish her for the days in which she burned incense to the Baalim, and was adorned with her earrings, and her brooches, and went after her lovers, and forgot me, saith the Lord.)

¹⁴ For this thing lo! I shall give milk to it, and I shall bring it into wilderness, and I shall speak to the heart thereof. (And then lo! I shall give her milk, and I shall bring her into the wilderness again, and I shall speak to her heart/and I shall speak words of love to her.)

¹⁵ And I shall give to it vine-tillers thereof of the same place, and the valley of Achor, that is, of troubling, for to open hope. And it shall sing there by the days of her youth, and by the days of her going up from the land of Egypt. (And I shall give her back her vineyards from the same place, and turn the Valley of Achor, that is, the Valley of Trouble, into a door of hope. And she shall sing there like in the days of her youth, and like in the days of her going out of the land of Egypt.)

¹⁶ And it shall be in that day, saith the Lord, she shall call me Mine husband, and she shall no more call me Baali; (And it shall be on that day, saith the Lord, that she shall call me Ishi, or My husband, and she shall no more call me Baali, or My Lord;)

¹⁷ and I shall take away the names of Baalim from her mouth, and she shall no more have mind of the name(s) of those. (and I shall take away the names of the Baalim from out of her mouth, and no more shall she remember their names.)

¹⁸ And I shall smite to them a bond of peace in that day, with the beast of the field, and with the bird of the air, and with the creeping beast of the earth. And I shall all-break bow, and sword, and battle from [the] earth; and I shall make them to sleep trustily. (And on that day, I shall strike a covenant for them with the wild beasts, and with the birds of the air, and with the creeping beasts of the earth. And I shall altogether break the bow, and the sword, and the battle from off the earth, and then they all shall be able to sleep with trust, or in peace.)

¹⁹ And I shall spouse thee to me [into] without end; and I shall spouse thee to me in rightfulness, and in doom, and in mercy, and in merciful doings. (And I shall betroth thee to me forever; and I shall betroth thee to me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in love, and in giving mercy.)

²⁰ And I shall spouse thee to me in faith; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. (And I shall betroth thee to me in faith; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.)

²¹ And it shall be, in that day I shall hear, saith the Lord, and I shall hear (the) heavens, and those shall hear the earth; (And it shall be, on that day, that I shall give an answer, saith the Lord, and I shall answer with the heavens, and they shall answer with the earth;)

²² and the earth shall hear (the) wheat, and wine, and oil, and these shall hear Jezreel. (and the earth shall answer with the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and all of them shall answer with Jezreel, that is, with Israel.)

²³ And I shall sow it to me into a land, and I shall have mercy on it that was without mercy. And I shall say to that, that is not my people, Thou art my people, and it shall say, Thou art my God. (And I shall sow Israel in the land for me, and I shall show love to Loruhamah, and I shall say to Loammi, Thou art my people, and they shall say to me/and he shall say to me, Thou art my God.)

3 And the Lord said to me, Yet go thou, and love a woman loved of a friend, and a woman adulteress, as the Lord loveth the sons of Israel; and they behold to alien gods, and love the dregs of grapes. (And the Lord said to me, Now go thou, and love a woman loved by a friend, yea, a woman who is an adulteress, like the Lord loveth the Israelites; even though they turn to strange, or foreign, gods, and love the dregs, or the lees, of grapes.)

² And I delved it to me by fifteen pence, and by a cor of barley, and by half a cor of barley. (And so I bought her back for me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a cor of barley, and for half a cor of barley.)

³ And I said to it, By many days thou shalt abide me; thou shalt not do fornication, and thou shalt not be with an husband, but also I shall abide thee. (And I said to her, For many days thou shalt wait for me; thou shalt not do adultery, or idolatry, and thou shalt not be with a husband, and also I shall wait for thee.)

⁴ For by many days the sons of Israel shall sit without king, without prince, and without sacrifice, and without altar, and without priest’s cloak, and without teraphim, that is, images. (And so for many days the Israelites shall sit without a king, and without a prince/yea, without a leader, and without sacrifices, and without altars, and without sacred pillars, and without teraphim, or idols.)

⁵ And after these things the sons of Israel shall turn again, and shall seek their Lord God, and David, their king; and they shall dread at the Lord, and at the good of him, in the last days. (And after these things the Israelites shall repent, and shall seek the Lord their God, and David, their king; and they shall fear the Lord, and shall receive good things from him, in the coming days.)

4 Sons of Israel, hear ye the word of the Lord, for why doom is to the Lord with the dwellers of earth; for why truth is not, and mercy is not, and knowing of the Lord is not in earth. (Israelites, hear ye the word of the Lord, for judgement is with the Lord for the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, or love, or knowledge of the Lord, in the land.)

² Curse, and leasing, and man-quelling, and theft, and adultery flowed, and blood touched blood. (Curses, and lies, and man-killing, or murder, and theft, and adultery flowed, and blood touched blood.)

³ For this thing the earth shall mourn, and each that dwelleth in that land shall be sick, in the beast of the field, and in the bird of the air; but also the fishes of the sea shall be gathered together. (For this thing the land shall mourn, and everyone who liveth in that land shall die, and with them the wild beasts, and the birds of the air; and even the fish of the sea shall be gathered together, and taken away.)

⁴ Nevertheless each man deem not, and a man be not reproved; for thy people is as they that against-say the priest. (Nevertheless let no one judge the people, and let no one rebuke them; for my quarrel is with you, false priest/s.)

⁵ And thou shalt fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with thee; in the night I made thy mother to be still (and in the night I shall make thy mother Israel to die).

⁶ My people was still, for it had not knowing; for thou hast put away knowing, I shall put thee away, that thou use not priesthood to me; and for thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, also I shall forget thy sons. (My people were destroyed, for they had no knowledge; and for thou hast put away knowledge, I shall put thee away, so that thou be not my priests/My people were destroyed, for they did not acknowledge me; and for thou hast not acknowledged me, I shall put thee away, so that thou be not my priests; and for thou hast forgotten the Law, or the teaching, of thy God, I shall also forget thy sons, who also shall not be my priests.)

⁷ By the multitude of them, so they sinned against me. I shall change the glory of them into shame.

⁸ They shall eat (from) the sins of my people, and they shall raise (up) the souls of them to the wickedness of them.

⁹ And it shall be, as the people, so the priest; and I shall visit on him the ways of him, and I shall yield to him the thoughts of him. (And it shall be, as for the people, so for the priests; and I shall punish them for their ways, and I shall repay them for their deeds.)

¹⁰ And they shall eat, and they shall not be [ful]filled; they did fornication, and ceased not, for they forsook the Lord in not keeping (his word). (And they shall eat, but they shall not be fulfilled; for they worshipped idols, and ceased not, yea, they deserted the Lord, and followed other gods.)

¹¹ Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness do away the heart. (Wine and drunkenness do away clear thinking.)

¹² My people asked in his tree, and the staff thereof told to it; for the spirit of fornication deceived them, and they did fornication, (going away) from their God. (My people asked for counsel, or advice, from their piece of wood, and a staff, or a stick, told them what to do; and so the spirit of adultery, or of idolatry, deceived them, and they did adultery, or idolatry, and went away from their God.)

¹³ On the heads, either tops, of mountains they made sacrifice, and on the little hills they burnt incense under an oak, and a poplar, and a terebinth, for the shadow thereof was good. Therefore your daughters shall do fornication, and your wives shall be adulteresses. (On the tops of the mountains they made sacrifice, and on the little hills they burned incense under an oak, and a poplar, and a terebinth, for its shadow was good. And so your daughters do adultery, or idolatry, and your wives be adulteresses.)

¹⁴ I shall not visit on your daughters, when they do fornication, and on your wives, when they do adultery; for they lived with whores, and made sacrifice with men turned into women’s conditions. And the people that understandeth not, shall be beaten. (Yet I shall not punish your daughters, when they do adultery, or idolatry, and your wives, when they also do adultery, or idolatry; for ye yourselves have sought out whores, and made sacrifice to idols. And so the people who understandeth not, shall bring ruin upon themselves.)

¹⁵ If thou, Israel, doest fornication, namely (thou) Judah, trespass not; and do not ye enter into Gilgal, and go ye not into Bethaven, neither swear ye, The Lord liveth. (Even if thou, Israel, doest adultery, or idolatry, do not thou, Judah, trespass; and do not ye go to Gilgal, and go ye not to Bethaven, nor swear ye, As the Lord liveth.)

¹⁶ For as a wild cow Israel bowed away; now the Lord shall feed them as a lamb in broadness. (For Israel hath run away like a wild cow; but now the Lord shall feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture.)

¹⁷ Ephraim^[d] is the partner of idols, leave thou him;

¹⁸ the feast of them is parted. By fornication they did fornication, the defenders thereof loved to bring shame. (their feast is over; they adultery after adultery, that is, idolatry after idolatry, and they loved shame more than honour, or glory.)

¹⁹ The spirit bound him in his wings (The wind shall bind them up in its wings), and they shall be ashamed of their sacrifices.

5 Priests, hear ye this, and the house of Israel, perceive ye, and the house of the king, harken ye; for why doom is to you, for ye be made a snare to looking afar, and as a net spread abroad on Tabor (because now judgement is for you, for ye be made a snare at Mizpah, and like a net spread abroad upon Tabor).

² And ye bowed down sacrifices into (the) depth; and I am the learner of all them. (And ye made the most base, or wretched, sacrifices; and so I shall punish all of you.)

³ I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me; for now Ephraim did fornication, Israel is defouled. (I know Ephraim, yea, Israel is not hid from me; for now Ephraim hath done adultery, or idolatry, Israel is now defiled.)

⁴ They shall not give their thoughts that they turn again to their God; for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they knew not the Lord. (They shall not turn their thoughts so that they return to their God; for the spirit of adultery, or of idolatry, is in their midst, and they do not know, or acknowledge, the Lord.)

⁵ And the boast of Israel shall answer into the face thereof, and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their wickedness; also Judah shall fall with them. (And the boast of Israel crieth out against them, and Israel, yea, Ephraim, shall fall by their own wickedness; and Judah shall fall with them.)

⁶ In their flocks and in their droves, they go to seek the Lord, and they shall not find (him); he is taken away from them. (With their flocks and their herds, they go to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him; for he hath taken himself away from them.)

⁷ They trespassed against the Lord, for they engendered alien sons; now the month shall devour them with their parts. (They trespassed against the Lord, for they have begotten children who be strange, or foreign, to him; and soon they and their fields shall be devoured, or destroyed.)

⁸ Sound ye with a clarion in Gibeah, with a trump in Ramah; yell ye in Bethaven, after thy back, Benjamin.

⁹ Ephraim shall be into desolation, in the day of amending, and in the lineages of Israel I showed faith. (Ephraim shall be into desolation, on the day of correction; ye tribes of Israel, I have made known what shall surely be!)

¹⁰ The princes of Judah be made as (those) taking (over the) term; I shall shed out on them my wrath as water. (Judah’s rulers be made just like those who take over the land; I shall pour out my anger upon them like water.)

¹¹ Ephraim suffereth false challenge, and is broken by doom (Ephraim suffereth oppression, and is broken by injustice); for he began to go after filths.

¹² And I am as a moth to Ephraim, and as rot to the house of Judah. (And I am like a moth to Ephraim, or Israel, and like rot to the house of Judah.)

¹³ And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his bond. And Ephraim went to Assur, and sent to the king venger. And he may not save you, neither he may unbind the bond from you. (And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound. And Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he cannot save you, nor can he cure you of your wound.)

¹⁴ For I am as a lioness to Ephraim, and as a whelp of a lion to the house of Judah. I myself shall take, and go, and take away, and none is that shall deliver. (For I am like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion’s cub to the house of Judah. I myself shall go, and shall tear them apart, and then shall carry them away, and no one shall be able to save, or rescue, them.)

¹⁵ I shall go, and turn again to my place, till ye fail, and seek my face. In their tribulation they shall rise early to me. (I shall go, and return to my place, until they fail, or suffer enough, and then seek my face. In their tribulation, they shall rise early in the morning to seek me.)

6 Come ye, and turn we again to the Lord; for he took, and shall heal us; he shall smite, and shall make us whole. (Come ye, let us return to the Lord; for he hath torn us, but he shall heal us; he hath struck us down, but he shall make us whole again.)

² He shall quicken us after two days, and in the third day he shall raise us, and we shall live in his sight. (He shall revive us after two days, and on the third day he shall raise us up, and we shall live before him.)

³ We shall know, and follow, (so) that we know the Lord. His going out is made ready at the morrowtide, and he shall come as a rain to us, which is timeful and lateful to the earth.

⁴ Ephraim, what shall I do to thee? Judah, what shall I do to thee? Your mercy is as a cloud of the morrowtide, and as dew passing forth early. (Ephraim, what shall I do with thee? Judah, what shall I do with thee? Your love, or your loyalty, is like a morning cloud, and like dew that passeth away early in the morning.)

⁵ For this thing, I [have] hewed (them) in prophets, I (have) killed them in the words of my mouth; and thy dooms shall go out as light. (For this thing, I have cut them down by the prophets, I have killed them with the words of my mouth; and thy judgement shall go forth like the light.)

⁶ For I would mercy, and not sacrifice, and I would the knowing of God, more than burnt sacrifices. (For I desire love, and not sacrifices, yea, I desire the knowing of God, more than any burnt sacrifices.)

⁷ But they as Adam brake the covenant; there they trespassed against me. (But they, like other people, broke the covenant; they trespassed against me there.)

⁸ Gilead, the city of them that work idol, is supplanted with blood; (Gilead, their city where they do evil, is overcome with blood;)

⁹ and as the cheeks of men that be thieves. (So be the) Partner(s) of priests slaying in the way men going from Shechem, for they wrought great trespass. (like thieves waiting in ambush, so be the companies of priests killing those going on the way to Shechem; for indeed they wrought great trespass.)

¹⁰ In the house of Israel I saw an horrible thing; there the fornications of Ephraim. Israel is defouled; (In the house of Israel I saw a horrible thing; there be the worshipping of idols by Ephraim. Yea, Israel is defiled;)

¹¹ but also thou, Judah, set [the] harvest to thee, when I shall turn (again) the captivity of my people. (and also thou, Judah, a time of reckoning hath been set for thee.)

7 When I would heal Israel, the wickedness of Ephraim was showed, and the malice of Samaria was showed, for they wrought leasing. And a night thief entered, and robbed; (and) a day thief was withoutforth. (When I desired to restore the prosperity of my people, and to heal Israel, then the wickedness of Ephraim was shown, and the malice of Samaria, for they were all liars. And they entered inside like a night thief, and robbed; and outside, like a day thief, they stole from the people.)

² And lest they say in their hearts, that I have mind on all the malice of them, now their findings have compassed them, those be made before my face. (And lest they say in their hearts, that I only remember all their malice, now their own deeds have surrounded them, and they all be before me.)

³ In their malice they gladded the king, and in their leasings the princes. (They gladdened the king with their malice, and the princes with their lies.)

⁴ All that do adultery, be as an oven made hot of a baker. The city rested a little from the meddling of sourdough, till all was made sour. (All of them who do adultery, or idolatry, be made hot like a baker’s oven. Then the city rested a little from the mixing of the sourdough, until all was made sour.)

⁵ The day of our king, the princes began to be wild of wine; he stretched forth his hand with scorners. (On the day of our king’s celebration, the princes began to be wild with wine; yea, he stretched forth his hand with mockers.)

⁶ For they applied their heart as an oven, when he setted treason to them. All the night he slept (while) baking them; in the morrowtide he was made hot, as the fire of flame. (For they heated up their hearts like an oven, while they plotted their treasons. They slept through the night while baking them; and in the morning their anger was made as hot as a flame of fire.)

⁷ All were made hot as an oven, and they devoured their judges. All the kings of them fell down, and none is among them that crieth to me. (All of them were made as hot as an oven, and they destroyed their rulers, or their leaders. All their kings fell down, and no one is among them who crieth to me.)

⁸ Ephraim himself was meddled among peoples; Ephraim was made a loaf baken under ashes, which is not turned again. (The people of Ephraim have mixed, or mingled, themselves in among the nations; Ephraim was made like a loaf baked under ashes, that is not turned, or is only half-baked.)

⁹ Aliens ate the strength of him, and he knew not; but also hoar hairs were shed out in him, and he knew not. (Strangers, or foreigners, ate up their strength, but they knew it not; and their gray hair turned white, but they knew it not.)

¹⁰ And the pride of Israel shall be made low in the face thereof; they turned not again to their Lord God, and they sought not him in all these things. (And the pride of Israel shall be made low before them; but they did not return to the Lord their God, and they have not sought him, even after all these things.)

¹¹ And Ephraim was made like to a culver deceived, not having heart. They called Egypt to help, they went to Assyrians. (And Ephraim was made like a silly pigeon, yea, without having any sense. First they called to Egypt for help, then they went to Assyria, or to the Assyrians.)

¹² And when they be gone forth, I shall spread abroad on them my net, I shall draw them down as a bird of the air. I shall beat them, by the hearing of the company of them. (And when they be gone forth, I shall spread abroad my net upon them, and I shall draw them down like a bird in the air. I shall beat them, like their company, or their congregation, hath heard/I shall beat them, for the evil which they have done.)

¹³ Woe to them for they went away from me; they shall be destroyed, for they trespassed against me. And I again-bought them, and they spake leasings against me (And I wanted to save, or rescue, them, but they spoke lies about me).

¹⁴ And they cried not to me in their heart, but yelled in their beds. They chewed cud on wheat, and wine, and they went away from me. (And they did not cry to me in their hearts, but wailed upon their beds. They gashed, or wounded, themselves for corn, and for wine, and they went away from me.)

¹⁵ And I taught, and comforted the arms of them, and they thought malice against me. (And I taught them, and I strengthened them, and still they thought malice against me.)

¹⁶ They turned again, that they should be without yoke; they be made as a guileful bow. The princes of them shall fall down by sword for the strong vengeance of their tongue; this is the scorning of them in the land of Egypt. (They turned away again, so that they would be without my yoke; they be made like a crooked bow. And so their leaders shall fall down by the sword because of the boasting and the deceitfulness of their tongues; this shall be their mocking in the land of Egypt.)