Study Desk

Israel was a spreading vine;^(a) he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars;^(b) as his land prospered,^(c) he adorned his sacred stones.^(d)

Their heart is deceitful,^(e) and now they must bear their guilt.^(f) The Lord will demolish their altars^(g) and destroy their sacred stones.^(h)

Then they will say, "We have no king because we did not revere the Lord . But even if we had a king, what could he do for us?"

They make many promises, take false oaths⁽ⁱ⁾ and make agreements;^(j) therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds^(k) in a plowed field.

The people who live in Samaria fear for the calf-idol^(l) of Beth Aven.^[a](m) Its people will mourn over it, and so will its idolatrous priests,⁽ⁿ⁾ those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is taken from them into exile.^(o)

It will be carried to Assyria^(p) as tribute^(q) for the great king.^(r) Ephraim will be disgraced;^(s) Israel will be ashamed^(t) of its foreign alliances.

Samaria's king will be destroyed,^(u) swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.

The high places^(v) of wickedness^[b](w) will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel. Thorns^(x) and thistles will grow up and cover their altars.^(y) Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!"^(z) and to the hills, "Fall on us!"^(aa)

"Since the days of Gibeah,^(ab) you have sinned,^(ac) Israel, and there you have remained.^[c] Will not war again overtake the evildoers in Gibeah?

When I please, I will punish^(ad) them; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin.

Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke^(ae) on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground.

Sow^(af) righteousness^(ag) for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground;^(ah) for it is time to seek^(ai) the Lord , until he comes and showers his righteousness^(aj) on you.

But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil,^(ak) you have eaten the fruit of deception.^(al) Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,^(am)

the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated^(an)— as Shalman^(ao) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.^(ap)

So will it happen to you, Bethel, because your wickedness is great. When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.^(aq)

"When Israel was a child,^(a) I loved^(b) him, and out of Egypt I called my son.^(c)

But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.^[a](d) They sacrificed to the Baals^(e) and they burned incense to images.^(f)

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms;^(g) but they did not realize it was I who healed^(h) them.

I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love.⁽ⁱ⁾ To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed^(j) them.^(k)

"Will they not return to Egypt^(l) and will not Assyria^(m) rule over them because they refuse to repent?⁽ⁿ⁾

A sword^(o) will flash in their cities; it will devour^(p) their false prophets and put an end to their plans.

My people are determined to turn^(q) from me.^(r) Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.

"How can I give you up,^(s) Ephraim?^(t) How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim?^(u) My heart is changed within me; all my compassion^(v) is aroused.^(w)

I will not carry out my fierce anger,^(x) nor will I devastate^(y) Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man^(z)— the Holy One^(aa) among you. I will not come against their cities.

They will follow the Lord ; he will roar^(ab) like a lion.^(ac) When he roars, his children will come trembling^(ad) from the west.^(ae)

They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria,^(af) fluttering like doves.^(ag) I will settle them in their homes,"^(ah) declares the Lord .

Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,^(ai) Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful^(aj) Holy One.^[b](ak)

^[a]1Ephraim^(a) feeds on the wind;^(b) he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence.^(c) He makes a treaty with Assyria^(d) and sends olive oil to Egypt.^(e)

The Lord has a charge^(f) to bring against Judah;^(g) he will punish^(h) Jacob^[b] according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.⁽ⁱ⁾

In the womb he grasped his brother's heel;^(j) as a man he struggled^(k) with God.

He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel^(l) and talked with him there—

the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his name!^(m)

But you must return⁽ⁿ⁾ to your God; maintain love and justice,^(o) and wait for your God always.^(p)

The merchant uses dishonest scales^(q) and loves to defraud.

Ephraim boasts,^(r) "I am very rich; I have become wealthy.^(s) With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin."

"I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt;^(t) I will make you live in tents^(u) again, as in the days of your appointed festivals.

I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables^(v) through them."^(w)

Is Gilead wicked?^(x) Its people are worthless! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?^(y) Their altars will be like piles of stones on a plowed field.^(z)

Jacob fled to the country of Aram^[c];^(aa) Israel served to get a wife, and to pay for her he tended sheep.^(ab)

The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,^(ac) by a prophet he cared for him.^(ad)

But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger; his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed^(ae) and will repay him for his contempt.^(af)

When Ephraim spoke, people trembled;^(a) he was exalted^(b) in Israel. But he became guilty of Baal worship^(c) and died.

Now they sin more and more; they make^(d) idols for themselves from their silver,^(e) cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen.^(f) It is said of these people, "They offer human sacrifices! They kiss^[a](g) calf-idols!^(h)"

Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears,⁽ⁱ⁾ like chaff^(j) swirling from a threshing floor,^(k) like smoke^(l) escaping through a window.

"But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt.^(m) You shall acknowledge⁽ⁿ⁾ no God but me,^(o) no Savior^(p) except me.

I cared for you in the wilderness,^(q) in the land of burning heat.

When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud;^(r) then they forgot^(s) me.^(t)

So I will be like a lion^(u) to them, like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

Like a bear robbed of her cubs,^(v) I will attack them and rip them open; like a lion^(w) I will devour them— a wild animal will tear them apart.^(x)

"You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me,^(y) against your helper.^(z)

Where is your king,^(aa) that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes'?^(ab)

So in my anger I gave you a king,^(ac) and in my wrath I took him away.^(ad)

The guilt of Ephraim is stored up, his sins are kept on record.^(ae)

Pains as of a woman in childbirth^(af) come to him, but he is a child without wisdom; when the time^(ag) arrives, he doesn't have the sense to come out of the womb.^(ah)

"I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;^(ai) I will redeem them from death.^(aj) Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?^(ak) "I will have no compassion,

even though he thrives^(al) among his brothers. An east wind^(am) from the Lord will come, blowing in from the desert; his spring will fail and his well dry up.^(an) His storehouse will be plundered^(ao) of all its treasures.

The people of Samaria^(ap) must bear their guilt,^(aq) because they have rebelled^(ar) against their God. They will fall by the sword;^(as) their little ones will be dashed^(at) to the ground, their pregnant women^(au) ripped open."^[b]

^[a]Return,^(a) Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins^(b) have been your downfall!^(c)

Take words with you and return to the Lord . Say to him: "Forgive^(d) all our sins and receive us graciously,^(e) that we may offer the fruit of our lips.^[b](f)

Assyria cannot save us;^(g) we will not mount warhorses.^(h) We will never again say ‘Our gods'⁽ⁱ⁾ to what our own hands have made,^(j) for in you the fatherless^(k) find compassion."

"I will heal^(l) their waywardness^(m) and love them freely,⁽ⁿ⁾ for my anger has turned away^(o) from them.

I will be like the dew^(p) to Israel; he will blossom like a lily.^(q) Like a cedar of Lebanon^(r) he will send down his roots;^(s)

his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree,^(t) his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.^(u)

People will dwell again in his shade;^(v) they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom^(w) like the vine— Israel's fame will be like the wine^(x) of Lebanon.^(y)

Ephraim, what more have I^[c] to do with idols?^(z) I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper;^(aa) your fruitfulness comes from me."

Who is wise?^(ab) Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand.^(ac) The ways of the Lord are right;^(ad) the righteous walk^(ae) in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.