Online Bible

^aWhen Ephraim ¹spoke, there was trembling.He ^bexalted himself in Israel,But through ^cBaal he incurred guilt and died.2 And now they sin more and more,And make for themselves ^acast metal images,Idols ¹^bskillfully made from their silver,All of them the ^cwork of craftsmen.They say of them, “Let the ²people who sacrifice kiss the ^dcalves!”3 Therefore they will be like the ^amorning cloudAnd like dew which ¹soon disappears,Like ^bchaff which is blown away from the threshing floor,And like ^csmoke from a chimney.

4 Yet I have been the ^aLORD your GodSince the land of Egypt;And you were not to know ^bany god except Me,For there is no savior ^cbesides Me.5 I ¹^acared for you in the wilderness,^bIn the land of drought.6 As they had their pasture, they became ^asatisfied,And as they became satisfied, their ^bheart became proud;Therefore they ^cforgot Me.7 So I will be ^alike a lion to them;Like a ^bleopard I will ¹lie in wait by the wayside.8 I will confront them ^alike a bear deprived of her cubs,And I will tear open ¹their chests;I will also ^bdevour them there like a lioness,As a wild animal would tear them to pieces.

9 ¹It is to your own destruction, Israel,That you are ^aagainst Me, against your ^bhelp.10 Where then is your ^aking,That he might save you in all your cities;And your ^bjudges, to whom you said,“Give me a king and princes”?11 I ^agave you a king in My anger,And ^btook him away in My wrath.

12 The guilt of Ephraim is wrapped up;His sin is ^astored up.13 The pains of ^achildbirth come on him;He is ^bnot a wise son,For ¹it is not the time that he should ^cdelay at the opening of the womb.14 Shall I ^aransom them from the ¹power of Sheol?Shall I redeem them from death?^bDeath, where are your ²thorns?Sheol, where is your sting?^cCompassion will be hidden from My sight.

15 Though he ^aflourishes among the ¹reeds,An ^beast wind will come,The wind of the LORD coming up from the wilderness;And his fountain will ^cbecome dryAnd his spring will dry up;It will ^dplunder his treasury of every precious article.16 ¹Samaria will pay the penalty for her ^aguilt,Because she has ^brebelled against her God.^cThey will fall by the ^dsword,Their children will be ²^eslaughtered,And their pregnant ^fwomen will be ripped open.