Bible in 90 Days
Daniel’s Prayer for His People
9 In the first year of (A)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to (B)Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, (C)seventy years. 3 So I [a]gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the (D)great and awesome God, who (E)keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 (F)we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and (G)rebelled, even (H)turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 Moreover, we have not (I)listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.
7 “(J)Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us [b](K)open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in (L)all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 8 [c]Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong (M)compassion and forgiveness, [d]for we have (N)rebelled against Him; 10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His [e]teachings which He (O)set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Indeed (P)all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the (Q)curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. 12 Thus He has (R)confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our [f](S)rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has (T)not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the (U)law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have (V)not [g]sought the favor of the Lord our God by (W)turning from our iniquity and [h]giving attention to Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has [i](X)kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is (Y)righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “And now, O Lord our God, who have (Z)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have (AA)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your [j]righteous acts, let now Your (AB)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your (AC)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a (AD)reproach to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for [k]Your sake, O Lord, (AE)let Your face shine on Your (AF)desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, (AG)incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and (AH)see our desolations and the city which is (AI)called by Your name; for we are not [l](AJ)presenting our supplications before You on account of [m]any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, (AK)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Gabriel Brings an Answer
20 Now while I was (AL)speaking and praying, and (AM)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and [n]presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man (AN)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [o]previously, [p]came to me [q]in my extreme weariness about the time of the (AO)evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with (AP)understanding. 23 At the (AQ)beginning of your supplications the [r]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are [s](AR)highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain (AS)understanding of the vision.
Seventy Weeks and the Messiah
24 “Seventy [t](AT)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to [u]finish the transgression, to [v]make an end of sin, to (AU)make atonement for iniquity, to bring in (AV)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [w]prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a [x](AW)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until [y](AX)Messiah the (AY)Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with [z]plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the [aa]Messiah will be (AZ)cut off and have [ab]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will (BA)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [ac]its end will come with a (BB)flood; even to the end [ad]there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of [ae](BC)abominations will come one who [af]makes desolate, even until a (BD)complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who [ag]makes desolate.”
Daniel Is Terrified by a Vision
10 In the third year of (BE)Cyrus king of Persia a [ah]message was revealed to (BF)Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the [ai](BG)message was true and one of great [aj]conflict, but he understood the [ak]message and had an (BH)understanding of the vision.
2 In those days, I, Daniel, had been (BI)mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I (BJ)did not eat any [al]tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great (BK)river, that is, the [am]Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man (BL)dressed in linen, whose waist was (BM)girded with a belt of pure (BN)gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like [an]beryl, his face [ao]had the appearance of lightning, (BO)his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a [ap]tumult. 7 Now I, Daniel, (BP)alone saw the vision, while the (BQ)men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great (BR)dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 8 So I was (BS)left alone and saw this great vision; yet (BT)no strength was left in me, for my [aq]natural color turned to [ar]a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. 9 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I (BU)fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
Daniel Comforted
10 Then behold, a hand (BV)touched me and set me trembling on my [as]hands and knees. 11 He said to me, “O (BW)Daniel, man of [at]high esteem, (BX)understand the words that I am about to tell you and (BY)stand [au]upright, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up (BZ)trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “(CA)Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on (CB)humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response (CC)to your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was [av]withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, (CD)Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to (CE)give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the [aw](CF)latter days, for the vision pertains to (CG)the days yet future.”
15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I [ax]turned my face toward the ground and became (CH)speechless. 16 And behold, [ay](CI)one who resembled a human being was (CJ)touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “O my lord, as a result of the vision [az](CK)anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For (CL)how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now (CM)no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”
18 Then this one with human appearance touched me again and (CN)strengthened me. 19 He said, “O man of [ba]high esteem, (CO)do not be afraid. Peace [bb]be with you; take (CP)courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, “May my lord speak, for you have (CQ)strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you [bc]understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the [bd]prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the [be](CR)prince of [bf]Greece is about to come. 21 However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of (CS)truth. Yet there is no one who [bg]stands firmly with me against these forces except (CT)Michael your prince.
Conflicts to Come
11 “In the (CU)first year of Darius the Mede, [bh]I arose to be [bi]an encouragement and a protection for him. 2 And now I will tell you the (CV)truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise [bj]in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, [bk]he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of [bl](CW)Greece. 3 And a (CX)mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and (CY)do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out (CZ)toward the (DA)four [bm]points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be (DB)uprooted and given to others besides [bn]them.
5 “Then the (DC)king of the South will grow strong, [bo]along with one of his princes [bp]who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed. 6 After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the (DD)king of the North to carry out [bq]a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her [br]position of power, nor will he remain with his [bs]power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times. 7 But one of the [bt]descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the (DE)fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength. 8 Also their (DF)gods with their [bu]metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will [bv]refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9 Then [bw]the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.
10 “His sons will [bx]mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and (DG)overflow and pass through, that he may [by]again wage war up to his very fortress. 11 The (DH)king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight [bz]with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be given into [ca]the hand of the former. 12 When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and [cb]after an (DI)interval of some years he will [cc]press on with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will [cd]fall down. 15 Then the king of the North will come, cast up a (DJ)siege ramp and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even [ce]their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 But he who comes against him will (DK)do as he pleases, and (DL)no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the [cf](DM)Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He will (DN)set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, [cg]bringing with him [ch]a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be [ci]on his side. 18 Then he will turn his face to the (DO)coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will (DP)repay him for his scorn. 19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will (DQ)stumble and fall and be (DR)found no more.
20 “Then in his place one will arise who will (DS)send an [cj]oppressor through the [ck]Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and (DT)seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 The overflowing (DU)forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 [cl]In a time of tranquility he will enter the (DV)richest parts of the [cm]realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his [cn]ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 He will stir up his strength and [co]courage against the (DW)king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. 26 Those who eat his choice food will [cp]destroy him, and his army will [cq](DX)overflow, but many will fall down slain. 27 As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on (DY)evil, and they will (DZ)speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the (EA)end is still to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land with much [cr]plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.
29 “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but [cs]this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 For ships of [ct](EB)Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him will arise, (EC)desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the (ED)abomination [cu]of desolation. 32 By (EE)smooth words he will [cv]turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display (EF)strength and take action. 33 [cw](EG)Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will (EH)fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. 34 Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will (EI)join with them in (EJ)hypocrisy. 35 Some of [cx]those who have insight will fall, in order to (EK)refine, (EL)purge and make them [cy](EM)pure until the (EN)end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.
36 “Then the king will (EO)do as he pleases, and he will exalt and (EP)magnify himself above every god and will (EQ)speak [cz]monstrous things against the (ER)God of gods; and he will prosper until the (ES)indignation is finished, for that which is (ET)decreed will be done. 37 He will show no regard for the [da]gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. 38 But [db]instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. 39 He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to [dc]those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.
40 “At the (EU)end time the (EV)king of the South will collide with him, and the (EW)king of the North will (EX)storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, (EY)overflow them and pass through. 41 He will also enter the [dd](EZ)Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, (FA)Moab and the foremost of the sons of (FB)Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will [de]gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and (FC)Libyans and (FD)Ethiopians will follow at his [df]heels. 44 But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and [dg]annihilate many. 45 He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful (FE)Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
The Time of the End
12 “Now at that time (FF)Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a (FG)time of distress (FH)such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the (FI)book, will be rescued. 2 (FJ)Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, (FK)these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting [dh]contempt. 3 [di]Those who have (FL)insight will (FM)shine brightly like the brightness of the [dj]expanse of heaven, and those who (FN)lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But as for you, Daniel, (FO)conceal these words and (FP)seal up the book until the (FQ)end of time; (FR)many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. 6 And (FS)one said to the man (FT)dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “(FU)How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” 7 I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, [dk]as he (FV)raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by (FW)Him who lives forever that it would be for a [dl](FX)time, [dm]times, and half a [dn]time; and as soon as [do]they finish (FY)shattering the [dp]power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. 8 As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the [dq]outcome of these events?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and (FZ)sealed up until the end time. 10 (GA)Many will be purged, [dr]purified and refined, but the (GB)wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but [ds]those who (GC)have insight will understand. 11 From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the [dt](GD)abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 How (GE)blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the (GF)1,335 days! 13 But as for you, go your way to the [du]end; then you will enter into (GG)rest and rise again for your (GH)allotted portion at the end of the [dv]age.”
Hosea’s Wife and Children
1 The word of the Lord which came to (GI)Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of (GJ)Uzziah, (GK)Jotham, (GL)Ahaz and (GM)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of (GN)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “(GO)Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for (GP)the land commits flagrant harlotry, [dw]forsaking the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and (GQ)bore him a son. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Name him (GR)Jezreel; for yet a little while, and (GS)I will [dx]punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and (GT)I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will (GU)break the bow of Israel in the (GV)valley of Jezreel.”
6 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And [dy]the Lord said to him, “Name her [dz]Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer (GW)have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. 7 But I will have (GX)compassion on the house of Judah and (GY)deliver them by the Lord their God, and will not deliver them by (GZ)bow, sword, battle, horses or horsemen.”
8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 And [ea]the Lord said, “Name him [eb]Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not [ec]your God.”
10 [ed]Yet the number of the sons of Israel
Will be like the (HA)sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered;
And (HB)in the place
Where it is said to them,
“You are (HC)not My people,”
It will be said to them,
“You are the (HD)sons of the living God.”
11 And the (HE)sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be (HF)gathered together,
And they will appoint for themselves (HG)one leader,
And they will go up from the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness Condemned
2 [ee]Say to your brothers, “[ef]Ammi,” and to your sisters, “[eg]Ruhamah.”
2 “Contend with your mother, (HH)contend,
For she is (HI)not my wife, and I am not her husband;
And let her put away her (HJ)harlotry from her face
And her adultery from between her breasts,
3 Or I will strip her (HK)naked
And expose her as on the (HL)day when she was born.
I will also (HM)make her like a wilderness,
Make her like desert land
And slay her with (HN)thirst.
4 “Also, I will have no compassion on her children,
Because they are (HO)children of harlotry.
5 “For their mother has (HP)played the harlot;
She who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, ‘(HQ)I will go after my lovers,
Who (HR)give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my flax, my (HS)oil and my drink.’
6 “Therefore, behold, I will (HT)hedge up [eh]her way with (HU)thorns,
And I will build [ei]a wall against her so that she cannot find her (HV)paths.
7 “She will (HW)pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them;
And she will seek them, but will not find them.
Then she will say, ‘(HX)I will go back to my (HY)first husband,
For it was (HZ)better for me then than now!’
8 “For she does (IA)not know that it was (IB)I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil,
And lavished on her silver and gold,
Which they [ej]used for Baal.
9 “Therefore, I will (IC)take back My grain at [ek]harvest time
And My new wine in its season.
I will also take away My wool and My flax
Given to cover her nakedness.
10 “And then I will (ID)uncover her lewdness
In the sight of her lovers,
And no one will rescue her out of My hand.
11 “I will also (IE)put an end to all her gaiety,
Her (IF)feasts, her (IG)new moons, her sabbaths
And all her festal assemblies.
12 “I will (IH)destroy her vines and fig trees,
Of which she said, ‘These are my wages
Which my lovers have given me.’
And I will (II)make them a forest,
And the (IJ)beasts of the field will devour them.
13 “I will punish her for the (IK)days of the Baals
When she used to [el](IL)offer sacrifices to them
And (IM)adorn herself with her [em]earrings and jewelry,
And follow her lovers, so that she (IN)forgot Me,” declares the Lord.
Restoration of Israel
14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
(IO)Bring her into the wilderness
And speak [en]kindly to her.
15 “Then I will give her her (IP)vineyards from there,
And (IQ)the valley of Achor as a door of hope.
And she will [eo](IR)sing there as in the days of her youth,
As in the (IS)day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 “It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord,
“That you will call Me [ep](IT)Ishi
And will no longer call Me [eq]Baali.
17 “For (IU)I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth,
So that they will be [er]mentioned by their names no more.
18 “In that day I will also make a covenant for them
With the (IV)beasts of the field,
The birds of the sky
And the creeping things of the ground.
And I will [es](IW)abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land,
And will make them (IX)lie down in safety.
19 “I will (IY)betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in (IZ)righteousness and in justice,
In lovingkindness and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will (JA)know the Lord.
21 “It will come about in that day that (JB)I will respond,” declares the Lord.
“I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
22 And the (JC)earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and to the oil,
And they will respond to [et]Jezreel.
23 “I will (JD)sow her for Myself in the land.
(JE)I will also have compassion on [eu]her who had not obtained compassion,
And (JF)I will say to [ev]those who were (JG)not My people,
‘You are My people!’
And [ew]they will say, ‘You are my God!’”
Hosea’s Second Symbolic Marriage
3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a [ex]woman who is loved by her [ey]husband, yet an adulteress, even (JH)as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin (JI)cakes.” 2 So I (JJ)bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a [ez]half of barley. 3 Then I said to her, “You shall (JK)stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a [fa]man; so I will also be toward you.” 4 For the sons of Israel will remain for many days (JL)without king or prince, (JM)without sacrifice or sacred (JN)pillar and without (JO)ephod or [fb](JP)household idols. 5 Afterward the sons of Israel will (JQ)return and seek the Lord their God and (JR)David their king; and (JS)they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.
God’s Controversy with Israel
4 (JT)Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel,
For the Lord has a (JU)case against the inhabitants of the land,
Because there is (JV)no [fc]faithfulness or [fd]kindness
Or (JW)knowledge of God in the land.
2 There is (JX)swearing, (JY)deception, (JZ)murder, (KA)stealing and (KB)adultery.
They employ violence, so that (KC)bloodshed [fe]follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land (KD)mourns,
And everyone who lives in it languishes
Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky,
And also the fish of the sea [ff]disappear.
4 Yet let no one [fg](KE)find fault, and let none offer reproof;
For your people are like those who (KF)contend with the priest.
5 So you will (KG)stumble by day,
And the prophet also will stumble with you by night;
And I will destroy your (KH)mother.
6 (KI)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have (KJ)rejected knowledge,
I also will (KK)reject you from being My priest.
Since you have (KL)forgotten the (KM)law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 The more they (KN)multiplied, the more they sinned against Me;
I will (KO)change their glory into shame.
8 They (KP)feed on the [fh]sin of My people
And (KQ)direct their desire toward their iniquity.
9 And it will be, like people, (KR)like priest;
So I will (KS)punish them for their ways
And repay them for their deeds.
10 (KT)They will eat, but not have enough;
They will (KU)play the harlot, but not increase,
Because they have [fi](KV)stopped giving heed to the Lord.
11 Harlotry, (KW)wine and new wine take away the [fj]understanding.
12 My people (KX)consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them;
For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
And they have played the harlot, departing [fk]from their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the (KY)tops of the mountains
And [fl](KZ)burn incense on the hills,
(LA)Under oak, poplar and terebinth,
Because their shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters play the harlot
And your [fm]brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot
Or your [fn]brides when they commit adultery,
For the men themselves go apart with harlots
And offer sacrifices with (LB)temple prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are [fo]ruined.
15 Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Do not let Judah become guilty;
Also do not go to (LC)Gilgal,
Or go up to Beth-aven
(LD)And take the oath:
“As the Lord lives!”
16 Since Israel is (LE)stubborn
Like a stubborn heifer,
[fp]Can the Lord now (LF)pasture them
Like a lamb in a large field?
17 Ephraim is joined to (LG)idols;
(LH)Let him alone.
18 Their liquor gone,
They play the harlot continually;
(LI)Their [fq]rulers dearly love shame.
19 (LJ)The wind wraps them in its wings,
And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
The People’s Apostasy Rebuked
5 Hear this, O priests!
Give heed, O house of Israel!
Listen, O house of the king!
For the judgment applies to you,
For you have been a (LK)snare at Mizpah
And a net spread out on Tabor.
2 The (LL)revolters have [fr](LM)gone deep in depravity,
But I will chastise all of them.
3 I (LN)know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot,
Israel has defiled itself.
4 Their deeds will not allow them
To return to their God.
For a (LO)spirit of harlotry is within them,
And they (LP)do not know the Lord.
5 Moreover, the (LQ)pride of Israel testifies against him,
And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
(LR)Judah also has stumbled with them.
6 They will (LS)go with their flocks and herds
To seek the Lord, but they will (LT)not find Him;
He has (LU)withdrawn from them.
7 They have (LV)dealt treacherously against the Lord,
For they have borne [fs](LW)illegitimate children.
Now the (LX)new moon will devour them with their [ft]land.
8 (LY)Blow the horn in (LZ)Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah.
Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:
“(MA)Behind you, Benjamin!”
9 Ephraim will become a (MB)desolation in the (MC)day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I (MD)declare what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become like those who (ME)move a boundary;
On them I will (MF)pour out My wrath (MG)like water.
11 Ephraim is (MH)oppressed, crushed in judgment,
(MI)Because he was determined to [fu]follow man’s command.
12 Therefore I am like a (MJ)moth to Ephraim
And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his [fv]wound,
Then Ephraim went to (MK)Assyria
And sent to [fw](ML)King Jareb.
But he is (MM)unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your [fx]wound.
14 For I will be (MN)like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(MO)I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be (MP)none to deliver.
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they [fy](MQ)acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly (MR)seek Me.
The Response to God’s Rebuke
6 “(MS)Come, let us return to the Lord.
For (MT)He has torn us, but (MU)He will heal us;
He has [fz]wounded us, but He will (MV)bandage us.
2 “He will (MW)revive us after two days;
He will (MX)raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
3 “So let us (MY)know, let us press on to know the Lord.
His (MZ)going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the (NA)rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth.”
4 What shall I do with you, O (NB)Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
For your [ga]loyalty is like a (NC)morning cloud
And like the dew which goes away early.
5 Therefore I have (ND)hewn them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the (NE)words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth.
6 For (NF)I delight in loyalty (NG)rather than sacrifice,
And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 But (NH)like [gb]Adam they have (NI)transgressed the covenant;
There they have (NJ)dealt treacherously against Me.
8 (NK)Gilead is a city of wrongdoers,
Tracked with (NL)bloody footprints.
9 And as (NM)raiders wait for a man,
So a band of priests (NN)murder on the way to Shechem;
Surely they have committed [gc](NO)crime.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a (NP)horrible thing;
Ephraim’s (NQ)harlotry is there, Israel has defiled itself.
11 Also, O Judah, there is a (NR)harvest appointed for you,
When I (NS)restore the fortunes of My people.
Ephraim’s Iniquity
7 When I (NT)would heal Israel,
The iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered,
And the evil deeds of Samaria,
For they deal (NU)falsely;
The thief enters in,
(NV)Bandits raid outside,
2 And they do not [gd]consider in their hearts
That I (NW)remember all their wickedness.
Now their (NX)deeds are all around them;
They are before My face.
3 (NY)With their wickedness they make the (NZ)king glad,
And the princes with their (OA)lies.
4 They are (OB)all adulterers,
Like an oven heated by the baker
Who ceases to stir up the fire
From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
5 On the [ge]day of our king, the princes (OC)became sick with the heat of wine;
He stretched out his hand with (OD)scoffers,
6 For their hearts are like an (OE)oven
As they approach their [gf]plotting;
Their [gg]anger [gh]smolders all night,
In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot like an oven,
And they consume their (OF)rulers;
All their kings have fallen.
(OG)None of them calls on Me.
8 Ephraim (OH)mixes himself with the [gi]nations;
Ephraim has become a cake not turned.
9 (OI)Strangers devour his strength,
Yet he (OJ)does not know it;
Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him,
Yet he does not know it.
10 Though the (OK)pride of Israel testifies against him,
Yet (OL)they have not returned to the Lord their God,
Nor have they sought Him, for all this.
11 So (OM)Ephraim has become like a silly dove, (ON)without [gj]sense;
They call to (OO)Egypt, they go to (OP)Assyria.
12 When they go, I will (OQ)spread My net over them;
I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.
I will (OR)chastise them in accordance with the [gk]proclamation to their assembly.
13 (OS)Woe to them, for they have (OT)strayed from Me!
Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!
I (OU)would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.
14 And (OV)they do not cry to Me from their heart
When they wail on their beds;
For the sake of grain and new wine they [gl](OW)assemble themselves,
They (OX)turn away from Me.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
Yet they (OY)devise evil against Me.
16 They turn, but not [gm]upward,
They are like a (OZ)deceitful bow;
Their princes will fall by the sword
Because of the [gn](PA)insolence of their tongue.
This will be their (PB)derision in the land of Egypt.
Israel Reaps the Whirlwind
8 (PC)Put the trumpet to your [go]lips!
(PD)Like an eagle the enemy comes (PE)against the house of the Lord,
Because they have (PF)transgressed My covenant
And rebelled against My (PG)law.
2 (PH)They cry out to Me,
“My God, (PI)we of Israel know You!”
3 Israel has rejected the good;
The enemy will pursue him.
4 (PJ)They have set up kings, but not by Me;
They have appointed princes, but I did not know it.
With their (PK)silver and gold they have made idols for themselves,
That [gp]they might be cut off.
5 [gq]He has rejected your (PL)calf, O Samaria, saying,
“My anger burns against them!”
How long will they be incapable of (PM)innocence?
6 For from Israel is even this!
A (PN)craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to [gr]pieces.
7 For (PO)they sow the wind
And they reap the (PP)whirlwind.
The standing grain has no [gs]heads;
It yields (PQ)no [gt]grain.
Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.
8 Israel is (PR)swallowed up;
They are now among the nations
Like a (PS)vessel in which no one delights.
9 For they have gone up to (PT)Assyria,
Like (PU)a wild donkey all alone;
Ephraim has (PV)hired [gu]lovers.
10 Even though they hire allies among the nations,
Now I will (PW)gather them up;
And they will begin (PX)to [gv]diminish
Because of the burden of the (PY)king of princes.
11 Since Ephraim has (PZ)multiplied altars for sin,
They have become altars of sinning for him.
12 Though (QA)I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My (QB)law,
They are regarded as a strange thing.
13 As for My (QC)sacrificial gifts,
They (QD)sacrifice the flesh and eat it,
But the Lord has taken no delight in them.
Now He will (QE)remember their iniquity,
And (QF)punish them for their sins;
They will return to (QG)Egypt.
14 For Israel has (QH)forgotten his Maker and (QI)built palaces;
And Judah has multiplied fortified cities,
But I will send a (QJ)fire on its cities that it may consume its palatial dwellings.
Ephraim Punished
9 (QK)Do not rejoice, O Israel, [gw]with exultation like the [gx]nations!
For you have (QL)played the harlot, [gy]forsaking your God.
You have loved harlots’ earnings on [gz]every threshing floor.
2 Threshing floor and wine press will (QM)not feed them,
And the new wine will fail [ha]them.
3 They will not remain in (QN)the Lord’s land,
But Ephraim will return to (QO)Egypt,
And in (QP)Assyria they will eat (QQ)unclean food.
4 They will not pour out drink offerings of (QR)wine to the Lord,
(QS)Their sacrifices will not please Him.
Their bread will [hb]be like [hc]mourners’ bread;
All who eat of it will be (QT)defiled,
For their bread will be for [hd]themselves alone;
It will not enter the house of the Lord.
5 (QU)What will you do on the day of the appointed festival
And on the day of the (QV)feast of the Lord?
6 For behold, they will go because of destruction;
Egypt will gather them up, (QW)Memphis will bury them.
Weeds will take over their treasures of silver;
(QX)Thorns will be in their tents.
7 The days of (QY)punishment have come,
The days of (QZ)retribution have come;
[he]Let Israel know this!
The prophet is a (RA)fool,
The [hf]inspired man is (RB)demented,
Because of the grossness of your (RC)iniquity,
And because your hostility is so great.
8 Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a prophet;
Yet the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways,
And there is only hostility in the house of his God.
9 They have gone (RD)deep [hg]in depravity
As in the days of (RE)Gibeah;
He will (RF)remember their iniquity,
He will punish their sins.
10 I found Israel like (RG)grapes in the wilderness;
I saw your forefathers as the (RH)earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.
But they came to (RI)Baal-peor and devoted themselves to [hh](RJ)shame,
And they became as (RK)detestable as that which they loved.
11 As for Ephraim, their (RL)glory will fly away like a bird—
No birth, no pregnancy and no conception!
12 Though they bring up their children,
Yet I will bereave them [hi]until not a man is left.
Yes, (RM)woe to them indeed when I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, as I have seen,
Is planted in a pleasant meadow like (RN)Tyre;
But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter.
14 Give them, O Lord—what will You give?
Give them a (RO)miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their evil is at (RP)Gilgal;
Indeed, I came to hate them there!
Because of the (RQ)wickedness of their deeds
I will drive them out of My house!
I will love them no more;
All their princes are (RR)rebels.
16 (RS)Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up,
They will bear (RT)no fruit.
Even though they bear children,
I will slay the (RU)precious ones of their womb.
17 My God will cast them away
Because they have (RV)not listened to Him;
And they will be (RW)wanderers among the nations.
Retribution for Israel’s Sin
10 Israel is a [hj]luxuriant (RX)vine;
He produces fruit for himself.
The more his fruit,
The more altars he (RY)made;
The [hk]richer his land,
The better [hl]he made the sacred (RZ)pillars.
2 Their heart is [hm](SA)faithless;
Now they must bear their (SB)guilt.
[hn]The Lord will (SC)break down their altars
And destroy their sacred pillars.
3 Surely now they will say, “We have (SD)no king,
For we do not revere the Lord.
As for the king, what can he do for us?”
4 They speak mere words,
[ho]With (SE)worthless oaths they make covenants;
And (SF)judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria will fear
For the [hp](SG)calf of (SH)Beth-aven.
Indeed, its people will mourn for it,
And its (SI)idolatrous priests [hq]will cry out over it,
Over its (SJ)glory, since it has departed from it.
6 The thing itself will be carried to (SK)Assyria
As tribute to [hr](SL)King Jareb;
Ephraim will [hs]be (SM)seized with shame
And Israel will be ashamed of its (SN)own counsel.
7 Samaria will be (SO)cut off with her king
Like a stick on the surface of the water.
8 Also the (SP)high places of Aven, the (SQ)sin of Israel, will be destroyed;
(SR)Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars;
Then they will (SS)say to the mountains,
“Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel;
There they stand!
Will not the battle against the sons of iniquity overtake them in Gibeah?
10 When it is My (ST)desire, I will [ht](SU)chastise them;
And (SV)the peoples will be gathered against them
When they are bound for their double guilt.
11 Ephraim is a trained (SW)heifer that loves to thresh,
But I will (SX)come over her fair neck with a yoke;
I will harness Ephraim,
Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself.
12 (SY)Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with [hu]kindness;
(SZ)Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to (TA)seek the Lord
Until He (TB)comes to [hv](TC)rain righteousness on you.
13 You have (TD)plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of (TE)lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your (TF)numerous warriors,
14 Therefore a tumult will arise among your people,
And all your (TG)fortresses will be destroyed,
As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
When (TH)mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off.
God Yearns over His People
11 When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And (TI)out of Egypt I (TJ)called My son.
2 The more [hw](TK)they called them,
The more they went from [hx]them;
They kept (TL)sacrificing to the Baals
And (TM)burning incense to idols.
3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
[hy]I (TN)took them in My arms;
But they did not know that I (TO)healed them.
4 I (TP)led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love,
And (TQ)I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and (TR)fed them.
5 [hz]They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria—he will be [ia]their king
Because they (TS)refused to return to Me.
6 The (TT)sword will whirl against [ib]their cities,
And will demolish [ic]their gate bars
And (TU)consume them because of their (TV)counsels.
7 So My people are bent on (TW)turning from Me.
Though [id]they call [ie]them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.
8 (TX)How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, O Israel?
How can I [if]make you like (TY)Admah?
How can I treat you like (TZ)Zeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
[ig]All My compassions are kindled.
9 I will (UA)not execute My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim (UB)again.
For (UC)I am God and not man, the (UD)Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in [ih]wrath.
10 They will (UE)walk after the Lord,
He will (UF)roar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar
And His sons will come (UG)trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like birds from (UH)Egypt
And like (UI)doves from the land of (UJ)Assyria;
And I will (UK)settle them in their houses, declares the Lord.
12 [ii]Ephraim surrounds Me with (UL)lies
And the house of Israel with deceit;
Judah is also unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.
Ephraim Reminded
12 [ij]Ephraim feeds on (UM)wind,
And pursues the (UN)east wind continually;
He multiplies lies and violence.
Moreover, [ik]he makes a covenant with Assyria,
And oil is carried to Egypt.
2 The Lord also has a (UO)dispute with Judah,
And will punish Jacob (UP)according to his ways;
He will repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he (UQ)took his brother by the heel,
And in his maturity he (UR)contended with God.
4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and (US)sought His favor.
He found Him at (UT)Bethel
And there He spoke with us,
5 Even the Lord, the God of hosts,
The Lord is His [il](UU)name.
6 Therefore, (UV)return to your God,
(UW)Observe [im]kindness and justice,
And (UX)wait for your God continually.
7 A [in]merchant, in whose hands are false (UY)balances,
He loves to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become (UZ)rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they will find in me
(VA)No iniquity, which would be sin.”
9 But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;
I will make you (VB)live in tents again,
As in the days of the appointed festival.
10 I have also spoken to the (VC)prophets,
And I [io]gave numerous visions,
And through the prophets I gave (VD)parables.
11 Is there iniquity in Gilead?
Surely they are worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, (VE)their altars are like the stone heaps
Beside the furrows of the field.
12 Now (VF)Jacob fled to the [ip]land of Aram,
And (VG)Israel worked for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.
13 But by a (VH)prophet the Lord brought Israel from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was kept.
14 (VI)Ephraim has provoked to bitter anger;
So his Lord will leave his (VJ)bloodguilt on him
And bring back his (VK)reproach to him.
Ephraim’s Idolatry
13 (VL)When Ephraim [iq]spoke, there was trembling.
He (VM)exalted himself in Israel,
But through (VN)Baal he [ir]did wrong and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves (VO)molten images,
Idols [is](VP)skillfully made from their silver,
All of them the (VQ)work of craftsmen.
They say of them, “Let the [it]men who sacrifice kiss the (VR)calves!”
3 Therefore they will be like the (VS)morning cloud
And like dew which [iu]soon disappears,
Like (VT)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor
And like (VU)smoke from a [iv]chimney.
4 Yet I have been the (VV)Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (VW)any god except Me,
For there is no savior (VX)besides Me.
5 I [iw](VY)cared for you in the wilderness,
(VZ)In the land of drought.
6 As they had their pasture, they became (WA)satisfied,
And being satisfied, their (WB)heart became proud;
Therefore they (WC)forgot Me.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.