Ephraim’s Iniquity 1 UST whenever I want to restore the people of Israel, I see how sinfully the people of Ephraim act and all of the evil things that the people of the city of Samaria do. Indeed, they constantly deceive others, thieves break into houses, and gangs of robbers steal from people in the streets. BSB BSB: When I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim will be exposed, as well as the crimes of Samaria. For they practice deceit and thieves break in; bandits raid in the streets.
2 UST They never stop to think that I remember every evil thing that they do.{ It is as though} they have piled up their sins all around them;{ it is as though} those sins are always right in front of me. BSB BSB: But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.
3 UST The people of Israel please their king by doing evil things, and they please the royal officials by telling lies. BSB BSB: They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
4 UST All the people are{ unfaithful to me like} an adulterous spouse. They are{ so intent on doing evil things that they are} like a burning oven that a baker has heated;{ it is so hot that} the baker does not need to stir the fire from when he starts to knead the dough until he adds leavening to it. BSB BSB: They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough.
5 UST On the day that they celebrate the king’ s festival, the officials made him drunk with wine until he became sick. Then the king joined in with those who mock me. BSB BSB: The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.
6 UST Indeed, the officials strongly desire to murder{ the king}, as though their hearts were as hot as an oven. They remain angry through the night, like an oven that the baker neglects while he sleeps; but then in the morning it blazes up like a roaring fire. BSB BSB: For they prepare their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7 UST All of those conspirators are{ so passionate to be important that they are} like hot ovens, and they destroy their rulers. All of their kings die violently; yet not one of them calls out to me{ to help him}. BSB BSB: All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings fall; not one of them calls upon Me.
8 UST The leaders of Ephraim make alliances with foreign nations, so Ephraim has become{ ruined, like} a pancake that someone has failed to turn over. BSB BSB: Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.
9 UST Foreigners have drained away their resources, yet the people of Israel do not realize it. Their nation is becoming powerless, like a man who is growing old and weak, yet they do not realize it. BSB BSB: Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not know.
10 UST The way that the people of Israel are so proud makes this clear to everyone. Yet they have not begun again to worship Yahweh their God, and they have not tried to know me despite all of these things{ that have happened}. BSB BSB: Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him.
11 UST The leaders of Ephraim are like a dove, foolish and stupid. They asked the leaders of Egypt{ to help them}; then they asked the leaders of Assyria{ to help them}. BSB BSB: So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.
12 UST Whenever they go{ to seek help}, I will not allow them to succeed. I will be like a hunter who catches birds with a net and pulls them down from the sky. I will punish them, just as I warned their assembly that I would do. BSB BSB: As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.
13 UST Terrible things will happen to them because they have stopped obeying me! I will destroy them because they have rebelled against me! For my part, I wanted to rescue them, but for their part, they{ just} tell lies about me. BSB BSB: Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me! Though I would redeem them, they speak lies against Me.
14 UST They do not sincerely cry out to me{ to help them}; instead they just lie on their beds and wail. They slash themselves{ to offer their blood to pagan gods}, hoping to get grain and new wine, but they reject me. BSB BSB: They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.
15 UST As for me, I trained them and made them strong, but now they plan to do evil things to me. BSB BSB: Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.
16 UST They ask for help, but not from me, the Most High God; they are as unreliable as a bow that does not shoot straight. Their officials will die in battle because what they have said has made me very angry. The people of Egypt will laugh at them for this.” BSB BSB: They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.