| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1When Ephraim spoke, trembling, He exalted himself in Israel; But when he offended through Baal worship, he died. | 1When Ephraim spoke, there was terror; he was exalted in Israel, but he became guilty by worshiping Baal and died. |
| 2Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!” | 2Even now they persist in sin! They make metal images for themselves, idols that they skillfully fashion from their own silver; all of them are nothing but the work of craftsmen! There is a saying about them: "Those who sacrifice to the calf idol are calf kissers!" |
| 3Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud And like the early dew that passes away, Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney. | 3Therefore they will disappear like the morning mist, like early morning dew that evaporates, like chaff that is blown away from a threshing floor, like smoke that disappears through an open window. |
| 4“Yet I am the LORD your God Ever since the land of Egypt, And you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me. | 4But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you must not acknowledge any God but me; except me there is no Savior. |
| 5I knew you in the wilderness, In the land of great drought. | 5I cared for you in the wilderness, in the dry desert where no water was. |
| 6When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me. | 6When they were fed, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; as a result, they forgot me! |
| 7“So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk; | 7So I will pounce on them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk by the path. |
| 8I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them. | 8I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs--I will rip open their chests. I will devour them there like a lion--like a wild animal would tear them apart. |
| 9“O Israel, you are destroyed, But your help is from Me. | 9I will destroy you, O Israel! Who is there to help you? |
| 10I will be your King; Where is any other, That he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? | 10Where then is your king, that he may save you in all your cities? Where are your rulers for whom you asked, saying, "Give me a king and princes"? |
| 11I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath. | 11I granted you a king in my anger, and I will take him away in my wrath! |
| 12“The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; His sin is stored up. | 12The punishment of Ephraim has been decreed; his punishment is being stored up for the future. |
| 13The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, For he should not stay long where children are born. | 13The labor pains of a woman will overtake him, but the baby will lack wisdom; when the time arrives, he will not come out of the womb! |
| 14“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.” | 14Will I deliver them from the power of Sheol? No, I will not! Will I redeem them from death? No, I will not! O Death, bring on your plagues! O Sheol, bring on your destruction! My eyes will not show any compassion! |
| 15Though he is fruitful among his brethren, An east wind shall come; The wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, And his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize. | 15Even though he flourishes like a reed plant, a scorching east wind will come, a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. As a result, his spring will dry up; his well will become dry. That wind will spoil all his delightful foods in the containers in his storehouse. |
| 16Samaria is held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child ripped open. | 16Samaria will be held guilty, because she rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their infants will be dashed to the ground--their pregnant women will be ripped open. |
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