1 Ephraim Punished Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation as do the [pagan] peoples,For you have played the prostitute,turningaway from your God.You have lovedprostitutes’earnings on every threshing floor [attributing the harvest to the Baals instead of to God].
2 The threshing floor and the wine press will no longer feed them,And the new wine will fail them [because they failed to honor the God who provides].
3 They will not remain in the land of the L,But Ephraim will return to [another] Egypt [in bondage]And they will eat [ceremonially] uncleanfoodin Assyria.
4 They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the L;Their sacrifices will not please Him.Their bread will belike mourners’ bread [eaten at funerals];All who eat it will be [ceremonially] unclean,For their bread will be for themselves;It will not enter the house of the L[to be consecrated].
5 What will you do on the day of the appointed festivalAnd on the day of the feast of the L[when you are in exile]?
6 For behold, they will go away because of devastationanddestruction;Egypt will gather them up, Memphis will bury them.Weeds will take over their treasures of silver;Thornswill growin their tents.
7 The days of punishment have come;The days of retribution are at hand;Let Israel know this!The prophet is [considered] a fool;The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented,Because of the abundance of your wickednessandguilt,Andbecauseyour deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.
8 Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a [true] prophet [to warn the nation];But the snare of a bird catcher was laid in all his paths.And there isonlydeep hostility in the house of his God (the land of Israel).
9 They have deeply corrupted (perverted) themselvesAs in the days of Gibeah.The Lwill remember their wickednessandguilt;He will punish their sins.
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness [an unexpected and refreshing delight];I saw your fathers (ancestors) as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree in its firstseason,But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to shamefulness [the worship of Baal],And [because of their spiritual and physical adultery] they became as detestableandloathsome as the thing they loved.
11 As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird;No birth, no pregnancy, and [because of their impurity] no conception.
12 Even though they bring up their children,Yet I will bereave them until not one is left.Indeed, woe (judgment is coming) to them when I look awayandwithdraw [My blessing] from them!
13 Ephraim, as I have seen,Is planted in a pleasant [and prosperous] meadow like Tyre;But Ephraim will bring out his children to the executioner [for slaughter].
14 Give them [the punishment they deserve], O L! What will You give?Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their wickedness [says the L] is focused in Gilgal;Indeed, I came to hate them there!Because of the wickedness of their [idolatrous] practicesI will drive them out of My house (the land of Israel)!I will love them no longer;All their princes are rebels.
16 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up,They will bear no fruit.Even though they give birth,I will slay the precious children of their womb.
17 My God will reject themandcast them awayBecause they did not listen to Him;And they will be wanderers (fugitives) among the nations.