¹When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but when he became guilty in Baal, he died.

¹כדבר אפרים רתת נשא הוא בישראל ויאשם בבעל וימת׃

²Now they sin more and more, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, ‘They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.’

²ועתה יוספו לחטא ויעשו להם מסכה מכספם כתבונם עצבים מעשה חרשים כלה להם הם אמרים זבחי אדם עגלים ישקון׃

³Therefore they will be like the morning mist, and like the dew that passes away early, like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, and like the smoke out of the chimney.

³לכן יהיו כענן בקר וכטל משכים הלך כמץ יסער מגרן וכעשן מארבה׃

⁴“Yet I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt; and you shall acknowledge no god but me, and besides me there is no savior.

⁴ואנכי יהוה אלהיך מארץ מצרים ואלהים זולתי לא תדע ומושיע אין בלתי׃

⁵I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

⁵אני ידעתיך במדבר בארץ תלאבות׃

⁶According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.

⁶כמרעיתם וישבעו שבעו וירם לבם על כן שכחוני׃

⁷Therefore I am like a lion to them. Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.

⁷ואהי להם כמו שחל כנמר על דרך אשור׃

⁸I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs, and will tear the covering of their heart. There I will devour them like a lioness. The wild animal will tear them.

⁸אפגשם כדב שכול ואקרע סגור לבם ואכלם שם כלביא חית השדה תבקעם׃

⁹You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your help.

⁹שחתך ישראל כי בי בעזרך׃

¹⁰Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes?’

¹⁰אהי מלכך אפוא ויושיעך בכל עריך ושפטיך אשר אמרת תנה לי מלך ושרים׃

¹¹I have given you a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.

¹¹אתן לך מלך באפי ואקח בעברתי׃

¹²The guilt of Ephraim is stored up. His sin is stored up.

¹²צרור עון אפרים צפונה חטאתו׃

¹³The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him. He is an unwise son; for when it is time, he doesn’t come to the opening of the womb.

¹³חבלי יולדה יבאו לו הוא בן לא חכם כי עת לא יעמד במשבר בנים׃

¹⁴I will ransom them from the power of Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. . I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? “Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.

¹⁴מיד שאול אפדם ממות אגאלם אהי דבריך מות אהי קטבך שאול נחם יסתר מעיני׃

¹⁵Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come, the breath of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness; and his spring will become dry, and his fountain will be dried up. He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.

¹⁵כי הוא בין אחים יפריא יבוא קדים רוח יהוה ממדבר עלה ויבוש מקורו ויחרב מעינו הוא ישסה אוצר כל כלי חמדה׃

¹⁶Samaria will bear her guilt; for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”

¹⁶תאשם שמרון כי מרתה באלהיה בחרב יפלו עלליהם ירטשו והריותיו יבקעו׃