1 WYC For Effraym spak, hidousnesse assailide Israel; and he trespasside in Baal, and was deed. BSB BSB: When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died.
2 WYC And now thei addiden to do synne, and maden to hem a yotun ymage of her siluer, as the licnesse of idols; al is the makyng of crafti men. To these thei seien, A! ye men, offre, and worschipe caluys. BSB BSB: Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”
3 WYC Therfor thei schulen be as a morewtid cloude, and as the deew of morewtid, that passith forth, as dust rauyschide bi whirlewynd fro the corn floor, and as smoke of a chymenei. BSB BSB: Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.
4 WYC Forsothe Y am thi Lord God, `that ledde thee fro the loond of Egipt; and thou schalt not knowe God, outakun me, and no sauyour is, outakun me. BSB BSB: Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.
5 WYC Y knewe thee in the desert, in the lond of wildirnesse. BSB BSB: I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.
6 WYC Bi her lesewis thei weren fillid, and hadden abundaunce; thei reisiden her herte, and foryaten me. BSB BSB: When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.
7 WYC And Y schal be as a lionesse to hem, as a parde in the weye of Assiriens. BSB BSB: So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
8 WYC Y as a femal bere, whanne the whelps ben rauyschid, schal mete hem; and schal al to-breke the ynnere thingis of the mawe of hem. And Y as a lioun schal waaste hem there; a beeste of the feeld schal al to-rende hem. BSB BSB: Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests. There I will devour them like a lion, like a wild beast tearing them apart.
9 WYC Israel, thi perdicioun is of thee; thin help is oneli of me. BSB BSB: You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against Me—against your helper.
10 WYC Where is thi kyng? moost saue he thee now in alle thi citees; and where ben thi iugis, of whiche thou seidist, Yyue thou to me a kyng, and princes? BSB BSB: Where is your king now to save you in all your cities, and the rulers to whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?
11 WYC Y schal yyue to thee a kyng in my strong veniaunce, and Y schal take awei in myn indignacioun. BSB BSB: So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.
12 WYC The wickidnesse of Effraym is boundun togidere; his synne is hid. BSB BSB: The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is stored up.
13 WYC The sorewis of a womman trauelynge of child schulen come to hym; he is a sone not wijs. For now he schal not stonde in the defoulyng of sones. BSB BSB: Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.
14 WYC Y schal delyuere hem fro the hoond of deeth, and Y schal ayenbie hem fro deth. Thou deth, Y schal be thi deth; thou helle, Y schal be thi mussel. BSB BSB: I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.
15 WYC Coumfort is hid fro myn iyen, for he schal departe bitwixe britheren. The Lord schal brynge a brennynge wynd, stiynge fro desert; and it schal make drie the veynes therof, and it schal make desolat the welle therof; and he schal rauysche the tresour of ech desirable vessel. BSB BSB: Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come—a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. His fountain will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 WYC Samarie perische, for it stiride his God to bittirnesse; perische it bi swerd. The litle children of hem be hurtlid doun, and the wymmen with child therof be koruun. BSB BSB: Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.