The Lord Will Punish Israel
1
Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; 1for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. 2You have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors.
3
They shall not remain in 5the land of the LORD, but 6Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and 7they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.
4
8They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, 9and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like 10mourners' bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; 11it shall not come to the house of the LORD.
5
12What will you do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the LORD?
6
For behold, they are going away from destruction; but 13Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess 14their precious things of silver; 15thorns shall be in their tents.
7
16The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. 17The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred.
8
The prophet is 18the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet 19a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
9
20They have deeply corrupted themselves as 21in the days of Gibeah: 22he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins.
10
Like grapes in the wilderness, 23I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But 24they came to Baal-peor and 25consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and 26became detestable like the thing they loved.
12
29Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. 30Woe to them when 31I depart from them!
13
Ephraim, 32as I have seen, was like a young palma planted in a meadow; but 33Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter.b
14
Give them, O LORD-- what will you give? Give them 34a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15
Every evil of theirs is in 35Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all 36their princes are 37rebels.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)