50 Or “Indeed” (cf. “Surely”). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
51 Evil was uncontrollable and destructive, and so can be compared to a forest fire.
52 Heb “and they swirled [with] the rising of the smoke” (cf. ).
53 The precise meaning of the verb עְתַּם (’étam), which occurs only here, is uncertain, though the context strongly suggests that it means “burn, scorch.”
54 The uncontrollable fire of the people’s wickedness (v. 18) is intensified by the fire of the Lord’s judgment (v. 19). God allows (or causes) their wickedness to become self-destructive as civil strife and civil war break out in the land.
55 Heb “men were not showing compassion to their brothers.” The idiom “men to their brothers” is idiomatic for reciprocity. The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without vav (ו) consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
56 Or “cut.” The verb גָּזַר (gazar) means “to cut.” If it is understood here, then one might paraphrase, “They slice off meat on the right.” However, I גזר, proposes here a rare homonym meaning “to devour.”
57 The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without vav consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
58 Some suggest that זְרֹעוֹ (zéro’o, “his arm”) be repointed זַרְעוֹ (zar’o, “his offspring”). In either case, the metaphor is that of a desperately hungry man who resorts to an almost unthinkable act to satisfy his appetite. He eats everything he can find to his right, but still being unsatisfied, then turns to his left and eats everything he can find there. Still being desperate for food, he then resorts to eating his own flesh (or offspring, as this phrase is metaphorically understood by some English versions, e.g., , , , ). The reality behind the metaphor is the political turmoil of the period, as the next verse explains. There was civil strife within the northern kingdom; even the descendants of Joseph were at each other’s throats. Then the northern kingdom turned on their southern brother, Judah.
59 The words “fought against” are supplied in the translation both here and later in this verse for stylistic reasons.
60 Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched” ( and both similar); “his hand is still upraised.” See the note at .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For wickedness burns like a fire;

it consumes briers and thorns;

it kindles the thickets of the forest,

and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts

the land is scorched,

and the people are like fuel for the fire;

no one spares another.

They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,

and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;

each devours the flesh of his own arm,

Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;

together they are against Judah.

For all this his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is stretched out still.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Surely wickedness burns like a fire;

it consumes briers and thorns,

it sets the forest thickets ablaze,

so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

By the wrath of the Lord Almighty

the land will be scorched

and the people will be fuel for the fire;

they will not spare one another.

On the right they will devour,

but still be hungry;

on the left they will eat,

but not be satisfied.

Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring:

Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;

together they will turn against Judah.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For wickedness burns like a fire

that consumes thorns and briers

and kindles the forest thickets

so that they go up in a column of smoke.

The land is scorched

by the wrath of the Lord of Armies,

and the people are like fuel for the fire.

No one has compassion on his brother.

They carve meat on the right,

but they are still hungry;

they have eaten on the left,

but they are still not satisfied.

Each one eats the flesh of his arm.

Manasseh eats Ephraim,

and Ephraim, Manasseh;

together, both are against Judah.

In all this, his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is still raised to strike.

NLTNew Living Translation

This wickedness is like a brushfire.

It burns not only briers and thorns

but also sets the forests ablaze.

Its burning sends up clouds of smoke.

The land will be blackened

by the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

The people will be fuel for the fire,

and no one will spare even his own brother.

They will attack their neighbor on the right

but will still be hungry.

They will devour their neighbor on the left

but will not be satisfied.

In the end they will even eat their own children.

Manasseh will feed on Ephraim,

Ephraim will feed on Manasseh,

and both will devour Judah.

But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.

His fist is still poised to strike.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For wickedness burned like fire;

it consumed brier and thorn.

And it kindled the thickets of the forest,

and they swirled upward in a column of smoke.

The land was burned through the wrath of Yahweh of hosts,

and the people became like fire fuel.

People had no compassion toward each other.

They devoured on the right but still were hungry

and devoured on the left but they were not satisfied.

Each one devoured the flesh of his arm,

Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh;

together they were against Judah.

In all of this his anger has not turned away,

and still his hand is stretched out.

KJV 1900King James Version

For wickedness burneth as the fire:

It shall devour the briers and thorns,

And shall kindle in the thickets of the forest,

And they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened,

And the people shall be as the fuel of the fire:

No man shall spare his brother.

And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry;

And he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied:

They shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh:

And they together shall be against Judah.

For all this his anger is not turned away,

But his hand is stretched out still.

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