Study Desk

^[h] Ephraim surrounds me with lies,^(ad) the house of Israel, with deceit. Judah still wanders with God and is faithful to the holy ones.^[i][j]

Ephraim chases^[a] the wind^(a) and pursues the east wind.^(b) He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria,^(c) and olive oil is carried to Egypt.^(d)

The Lord also has a dispute with Judah. He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways;^(e) He will repay him based on his actions.

In the womb he grasped his brother's heel,^(f) and as an adult he wrestled with God.^(g)

Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor.^(h) He found him^[b] at Bethel,⁽ⁱ⁾ and there He spoke with him.^[c](j)

Yahweh is the God of Hosts; Yahweh is His name.^(k)

But you must return to your God.^(l) Maintain love and justice,^(m) and always put your hope in God.⁽ⁿ⁾

A merchant loves to extort^(o) with dishonest scales in his hands.^(p)

But Ephraim says: "How rich I have become;^(q) I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any crime in me^(r) that I can be punished for!"^[d]

I have been Yahweh your God ever since^[e] the land of Egypt.^(s) I will make you live in tents again,^(t) as in the festival days.

I spoke through the prophets^(u) and granted many visions; I gave parables through the prophets.^(v)

Since Gilead is full of evil,^(w) they will certainly come to nothing. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;^(x) even their altars will be like heaps of rocks^(y) on the furrows of a field.

Jacob fled to the land of Aram.^(z) Israel worked to earn a wife;^(aa) he tended flocks for a wife.^(ab)

The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet,^(ac) and Israel was tended by a prophet.

Ephraim has provoked bitter anger,^(ad) so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him^(ae) and repay him for his contempt.^(af)