4 What will I do with you, O Ephraim?

What will I do with you, O Judah?

Your love is like a morning cloud,

like the dew that goes away early in the morning.

5 Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets;

I have killed them by the words of my mouth,

and my judgmentb goes forth like the light.

6 Because I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

7 But like Adam, they transgressed the covenant;

there they dealt faithlessly with me.

8 Gilead is a city of evil,

a cunning city because of blood.c

9 Like bandits lying in wait,

so is a band of priests;

they murder on the road to Shechem;

indeed, they commit a monstrous crime.

10 In the house of Israel I have seen something horrible;

Ephraim’s unfaithfulness is there.

Israel is defiled.

Ephraim’s Guilt

11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed,

when I restore the fortunes of my people,

7 when I would heal Israel,

and the corruption of Ephraim is revealed,

and the wicked deeds of Samaria;

because they deal in falsehood,

the thief breaks in,a

and the bandit raids the outside.

2 ⌊But they did not consider⌋b

that I remember all their wickedness.

Now their deeds surround them;

they are before my face.

3 By their wickedness they make the king glad,

and the officials by their treacheries.

4 All of them commit adultery,

like a burning oven

whose baker has stopped from stirring the fire,

and from kneading the dough until it is leavened.

5 On the day of our king, the princes

became sick with the heat of wine;c

he stretched out his hand with mockers.

6 Because they are kindledd like an oven,

their heart burns within them;

all night their anger ⌊smolders⌋,e

in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

7 All of them are hot as an oven,

and they devourf their rulers.

All their kings have fallen;

there is none who calls to me amongst them.

8 Ephraim mixes himself

with the nations;

Ephraim is a bread cake

not turned over.

9 Foreigners devourg his strength,

and he does not know it;

⌊mold⌋h is also sprinkled upon him,

and he does not know it.

10 The pride of Israel ⌊testifies against him⌋i—

they do not return to Yahweh their God;

they do not seek him for all of this.j

11 Ephraim was like a dove,

silly, ⌊without sense⌋;k

they call to Egypt,

they go to Assyria.

12 Just as they go, I will cast my net

over them;

I will bring them down

like the birdsl of the heavens;m

I will discipline them

according to a report to their assembly.n

13 Woe to them, because they have strayed from me!

Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me!

I myself would redeem them,

but they speak lies against me.

14 They do not cry out to me from their heart,

but they wail on their beds;

because of grain and new wine they lacerateo themselves;

they depart from me.

15 And I myself trained

and strengthened their arms;

but they plan evil against me.

16 They turn, not to the Most High,p

like a slack bow;

their officials will fall by the sword

because of the anger of their tongue.

This is their scornq

in the land of Egypt.