| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor. | 1Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor. |
| 2So now your harvests will be too small to feed you. There will be no grapes for making new wine. | 2The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them, and the new wine will fail them. |
| 3You may no longer stay here in the LORD’s land. Instead, you will return to Egypt, and in Assyria you will eat food that is ceremonially unclean. | 3They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria. |
| 4There you will make no offerings of wine to the LORD. None of your sacrifices there will please him. They will be unclean, like food touched by a person in mourning. All who present such sacrifices will be defiled. They may eat this food themselves, but they may not offer it to the LORD. | 4They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD. |
| 5What then will you do on festival days? How will you observe the LORD’s festivals? | 5What will you do on the appointed day, on the day of the LORD’s feast? |
| 6Even if you escape destruction from Assyria, Egypt will conquer you, and Memphis will bury you. Nettles will take over your treasures of silver; thistles will invade your ruined homes. | 6For even if they flee destruction, Egypt will gather them and Memphis will bury them. Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles, and thorns will overrun their tents. |
| 7The time of Israel’s punishment has come; the day of payment is here. Soon Israel will know this all too well. Because of your great sin and hostility, you say, “The prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools!” | 7The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility. |
| 8The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God. | 8The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God, yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God! |
| 9The things my people do are as depraved as what they did in Gibeah long ago. God will not forget. He will surely punish them for their sins. | 9They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins. |
| 10The LORD says, “O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season. But then they deserted me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became vile, as vile as the god they worshiped. | 10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved. |
| 11The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird, for your children will not be born or grow in the womb or even be conceived. | 11Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception. |
| 12Even if you do have children who grow up, I will take them from you. It will be a terrible day when I turn away and leave you alone. | 12Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them! |
| 13I have watched Israel become as beautiful as Tyre. But now Israel will bring out her children for slaughter.” | 13I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a meadow. But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter. |
| 14O LORD, what should I request for your people? I will ask for wombs that don’t give birth and breasts that give no milk. | 14Give them, O LORD—what will You give? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that dry up! |
| 15The LORD says, “All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels. | 15All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them from My house for the wickedness of their deeds. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious. |
| 16The people of Israel are struck down. Their roots are dried up, and they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children.” | 16Ephraim is struck down; their root is withered; they cannot bear fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay the darlings of their wombs. |
| 17My God will reject the people of Israel because they will not listen or obey. They will be wanderers, homeless among the nations. | 17My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations. |
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