4
They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, Nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for their own life; It shall not come into the house of the Lord.
5
What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the Lord?
6
For indeed they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; Thorns shall be in their tents.
7
The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, The spiritual man is insane, Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.
8
The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler's snare in all his ways-- Enmity in the house of his God.
9
They are deeply corrupted, As in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins.
10
"I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.
11
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird-- No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!
12
Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!
13
Just as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place, So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer."
14
Give them, O Lord-- What will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb And dry breasts!
15
"All their wickedness is in Gilgal, For there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious.
16
Ephraim is stricken, Their root is dried up; They shall bear no fruit. Yes, were they to bear children, I would kill the darlings of their womb."
17
My God will cast them away, Because they did not obey Him; And they shall be wanderers among the nations.