1Do not rejoice, Israel, with jubilation like the nations! For you have prostituted yourself, forsaking your God. You love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor.
2The threshing floor and the winepress will not feed them, and the new wine will fail her.
3They will not live in Yahweh’s land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.
4They will not pour out wine offerings to Yahweh, nor will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted, for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of Yahweh.
5What will you do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Yahweh?
6For behold, even if they have fled from destruction, Egypt will gather them up. Memphis will bury them. Nettles will possess their pleasant things of silver. Thorns will be in their tents.
7The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Israel will know this! The prophet is a fool, and the man who is moved by the spirit is insane, because of the abundance of your sins and because your hatred is great.
8The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on behalf of my God. But a fowler’s snare is on all of his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.
9They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.
10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to Shame,a and became as detestable as the thing they loved.
11As for Ephraim, their Glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, none with child, and no conception.
12Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them, so that not a man will be left. Indeed, woe also to them when I depart from them!
13I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim will bring out his children to the slaughterer.
14Give them, Yahweh—what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house! I will love them no more. All their officials are rebels.
16Ephraim is struck. Their root has dried up. They will bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, yet I will kill the beloved ones of their womb.
17My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.
REV Bible
