1 »O Israel, do not rejoice. Do not celebrate as pagan nations do. You have been unfaithful to your God. You have sold sex on every threshing floor.
2 »There will not be enough grain to feed people. There will not be enough wine to go around.
3 »The people of Ephraim will not stay in Jehovahs land. They will return to Egypt and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.
4 »They will not pour wine offerings to Jehovah. Their food will only satisfy their hunger. All who eat it will be defiled. It will not be brought as an offering to Jehovahs Temple.
5 »What will they do on the day of an appointed festival or on Jehovahs festival days?
6 »Even if they escape without being destroyed, Egypt will capture them and Memphis will bury them. Weeds will grow over their silver treasures. Thorns will grow over their tents.
7 The time for them to be punished will come. The time for them to pay for their sins will come. When this happens, Israel will know it. They think that prophets are fools and that spiritual people are crazy. They have sinned a lot, and are filled with hostility.«
8 Prophets are Gods watchmen over Ephraim. Yet, traps are set on every prophets path and people are hostile in the Temple of their God.
9 They have gone deep in depravity as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish their sins.
10 »I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. They came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame. They became as detestable as that which they loved.
11 »As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird: No birth, no pregnancy and no conception!
12 »Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them until no man is left. Yes, woe to them even when I depart from them!
13 »I have seen Ephraim planted in a pleasant meadow like Tyre. But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter.«
14 Give them, O Jehovah what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 »All Ephraim's wickedness began in Gilgal. I hated the people there. I will force them out of my Temple because of their wickedness. I will not love them anymore. All their officials are rebellious.
16 »The people of Ephraim are like sick plants. Their roots are dried up. They have no fruit. Even if they were to have children, I would kill their dear children.«
17 My God will reject them because they refused to listen to him. They will wander among the nations.