Study Desk

Afterwards, the people of Isra'el will repent and seek Adonai their God and David their king; they will come trembling to Adonai and his goodness in the acharit-hayamim.

Hear the word of Adonai , people of Isra'el! For Adonai has a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: there is no truth, no faithful love or knowledge of God in the land;

My people are destroyed for want of knowledge. Because you rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as cohen for me. Because you forgot the Torah of your God, I will also forget your children.

My people consult their piece of wood, their diviner's wand speaks to them; for the spirit of whoring makes them err, they go off whoring, deserting their God.

Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God, for the spirit of whoring is in them, and they don't know Adonai .

For what I desire is mercy, not sacrifices, knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

The pride of Isra'el testifies in his face, but in spite of all this they haven't returned to Adonai their God or sought him.

Will they cry out to me, ‘We are Isra'el, God, we know you'?

Here is what Isra'el produces: a craftsman makes something — it's a non-god; the calf of Shomron will be broken to pieces.

Don't rejoice, Isra'el! Don't enjoy yourselves as other peoples do; for you have gone whoring away from your God, you love being hired as a whore on every grain-floor.

The watchman of Efrayim is with my God, but a prophet has a fowler's snare set on all his paths and hostility even in the house of his God.

My God will cast them aside, because they wouldn't listen to him, and they will become wanderers among the Goyim.

I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage, I will not return to destroy Efrayim; for I am God, not a human being, the Holy One among you; so I will not come in fury.

class="poetry"> "When Isra'el was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more [the prophets] called them, the farther they went from them. They sacrificed to the ba‘alim and offered incense to idols. "Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk; I took them by their arms. But they did not know that it was I who was healing them, who was guiding them on through human means with reins made of love. With them I was like someone removing the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down to feed them. He will not return to the land of Egypt, but Ashur will be his king, because they refused to repent. The sword will fall on his cities, destroying the bars of his gates, because they follow their own advice. My people are hanging in suspense about returning to me; and though they call them upwards, nobody makes a move. Efrayim, how can I give you up, or surrender you, Isra'el? How could I treat you like Admah or make you like Tzvoyim? My heart recoils at the idea, as compassion warms within me. I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage, I will not return to destroy Efrayim; for I am God, not a human being, the Holy One among you; so I will not come in fury. They will go after Adonai , who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west. They will tremble like a bird as they come from Egypt, like a dove as they come from the land of Ashur; and I will resettle them in their own houses, says Adonai .

"Efrayim surrounds me with lies and the house of Isra'el with deceit. Y'hudah still rules with God and is faithful with holy ones.

In the womb he took his brother by the heel; in the strength of his manhood he fought with God.

So you, return to your God; hold fast to grace and justice; and always put your hope in your God.

"But I am Adonai your God, from the land of Egypt. Again I will make you live in tents, as in the days of the established festival.

Still, I am Adonai your God, from the land of Egypt; and you don't know any God but me or, other than me, any Savior.

lass="poetry"> "When Efrayim spoke, there was trembling; he was a power in Isra'el. But when he incurred guilt through Ba‘al, he died. So now they keep adding sin to sin, casting images from their silver; idols they invent for themselves, all of them the work of craftsmen. ‘Sacrifice to them,' they say. Men give kisses to calves! Therefore they will be like a morning cloud, like the dew that disappears early, like chaff blown by wind from the threshing-floor, or like smoke that goes out the window. Still, I am Adonai your God, from the land of Egypt; and you don't know any God but me or, other than me, any Savior. I knew you in the desert, in a land of terrible drought. When they were fed, they were satisfied; when satisfied, they became proud. Therefore they forgot me. So now I have become like a lion to them; like a leopard I will lurk by the road; I will meet them like a bear whose cubs have been taken away. I will tear their hearts from their bodies. I will devour them there like a lion, like a wild animal ripping them up. It is your destruction, Isra'el, although your help is in me. So now, where is your king, to save you in all your cities? Where are your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and leaders'? I gave you a king in my anger; and in my fury I took him away. "Efrayim's guilt has been wrapped up, his sin is stored away. The pain of being born will come to him; but he is an unwise son. The time has come; and he shouldn't delay, there at the mouth of the womb. Should I ransom them from the power of Sh'ol? Should I redeem them from death? Where are your plagues, death; where is your destruction, Sh'ol? My eyes are closed to compassion. For though he flourishes among the reeds, an east wind will come, a wind from Adonai , blowing up from the desert. Then his water source will dry up, then his spring will fail — it will plunder his treasury, removing every precious thing."