[1] Have no joy, O Israel, and do not be glad like the nations; for you
have been untrue to your God; your desire has been for the loose woman's
reward on every grain-floor. [2] The grain-floor and the place where the
grapes are crushed will not give them food; there will be no new wine for
them. [3] They will have no resting-place in the Lord's land, but Ephraim
will go back to Egypt, and they will take unclean food in Assyria. [4] They
will give no wine offering to the Lord, they will not make offerings ready
for him; their bread will be like the bread of those in sorrow; all who
take it will be unclean, because their bread will be only for their desire,
it will not come into the house of the Lord. [5] What will you do on the
day of worship, and on the day of the feast of the Lord? [6] For see, they
are going away into Assyria; Egypt will get them together, Memphis will be
their last resting-place; their fair silver vessels will be covered over
with field plants, and thorns will come up in their tents. [7] The days of
punishment, the days of reward are come; Israel will be put to shame; the
prophet is foolish, the man who has the spirit is off his head, because of
your great sin. [8] There is great hate against the watchman of Ephraim,
the people of my God; as for the prophet, there is a net in all his ways,
and hate in the house of his God. [9] They have gone deep in evil as in the
days of Gibeah; he will keep in mind their wrongdoing, he will give them
punishment for their sins. [10] I made discovery of Israel as of grapes in
the waste land; I saw your fathers as the first-fruits of the fig-tree in
her early fruit time; but they came to Baal-peor, and made themselves holy
to the thing of shame, and became disgusting like that to which they gave
their love. [11] As for Ephraim, their glory will go in flight like a bird:
there will be no birth and no one with child and no giving of life. [12]
Even though their children have come to growth I will take them away, so
that not a man will be there; for their evil-doing will be complete and
they will be put to shame because of it. [13] As I have seen a beast whose
young have been taken from her, so Ephraim will give birth to children only
for them to be put to death. [14] O Lord, what will you give them? Give
them bodies which may not give birth and breasts without milk. [15] All
their evil-doing is in Gilgal; there I had hate for them; because of their
evil-doing I will send them out of my house; they will no longer be dear to
me; all their rulers are uncontrolled. [16] The rod has come on Ephraim,
their root is dry, let them have no fruit; even though they give birth, I
will put to death the dearest fruit of their bodies. [17] My God will give
them up because they did not give ear to him; they will be wandering among
the nations.
