Study Desk

I will punish her For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot," says the LORD.

For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the LORD.

"With their flocks and herds They shall go to seek the LORD, But they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.

Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.

"But like men [fn] they transgressed the covenant;There they dealt treacherously with Me.

Aliens have devoured his strength, But he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, Yet he does not know it.

And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, But they do not return to the LORD their God, Nor seek Him for all this.

16 They return, but not to the Most High; [fn] They are like a treacherous bow.Their princes shall fall by the swordFor the cursings of their tongue.This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

"They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves-- That they might be cut off.

For from Israel is even this: A workman made it, and it is not God; But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

I have written for him the great things of My law, But they were considered a strange thing.

For the sacrifices of My offerings they sacrifice flesh and eat it, But the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt.

14 "For Israel has forgotten his Maker,And has built temples; [fn] Judah also has multiplied fortified cities;But I will send fire upon his cities,And it shall devour his palaces."

They shall not dwell in the LORD's land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, And shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

The watchman of Ephraim is with my God;But the prophet is a fowler's [fn] snare in all his ways--Enmity in the house of his God.

"I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.

Ephraim is a trained heifer That loves to thresh grain; But I harnessed her fair neck, I will make Ephraim pull a plow. Judah shall plow; Jacob shall break his clods."

"I taught Ephraim to walk,Taking them by their arms; [fn] But they did not know that I healed them.

"He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent.

12 "Ephraim has encircled Me with lies,And the house of Israel with deceit;But Judah still walks with God,Even with the Holy One [fn] who is faithful.