1 when I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim and the crimes of Samaria will be exposed. For they practice fraud; a thief breaks in; a raiding party pillages outside.2 But they never consider that I remember all their evil. Now their actions are all around them; they are right in front of my face.3 Israel’s Corruption They please the king with their evil, the princes with their lies.4 All of them commit adultery; they are like an oven heated by a baker who stops stirring the fire from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.5 On the day of our king, the princes are sick with the heat of wine — there is a conspiracy with traitors. Lit wine — he stretches out his hand to scorners ; Hb obscure 6 For they — their hearts like an oven — draw him into their oven. Their anger smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.7 All of them are as hot as an oven, and they consume their rulers. All their kings fall; not one of them calls on me. These vv. may refer to a king’s assassination; Hb obscure. 8 Ephraim has allowed himself to get mixed up with the nations. Ephraim is unturned bread baked on a griddle.9 Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not notice.10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, Lit against his face yet they do not return to the Lord their God, and for all this, they do not seek him.11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove; they call to Egypt, and they go to Assyria.12 As they are going, I will spread my net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the sky. I will discipline them in accordance with the news that reaches Lit news to their assembly.13 The Lord ’s Second Lament Woe to them, for they fled from me; destruction to them, for they rebelled against me! Though I want to redeem them, they speak lies against me.14 They do not cry to me from their hearts; rather, they wail on their beds. They slash themselves Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read They stay for grain and new wine; they turn away from me.15 I trained and strengthened their arms, but they plot evil against me.16 They turn, but not to what is above; Some emend to turn to what is useless they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent tongue. They will be ridiculed for this in the land of Egypt.