1 When I want to heal my people Israel and make them prosperous again, all I can see is their wickedness and the evil deeds of Samaria. They cheat one another. They break into houses and steal. They actually rob people in the streets.
1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
1 When I (A)would heal Israel,The iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered,And the evil deeds of Samaria,For they deal (B)falsely;The thief enters in,(C)Bandits raid outside,
1 when I heal Israel,(A)the sins of Ephraim(B) and the crimes of Samaria(C)will be exposed.For they practice fraud;(D)a thief breaks in;a raiding party pillages outside.(E)
1 "When I was healing Israel, Ephraim's sin was uncovered, along with Samaria's wickedness. While they craft lying schemes, the thief invades, and the gang of thieves plunders outside.
2 It never enters their hearts that I will remember all this evil. But their sins surround them, and I cannot avoid seeing them.
2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
2 And they do not (a)consider in their heartsThat I (D)remember all their wickedness.Now their (E)deeds are all around them;They are before My face.
2 But they never consider that I remember all their evil.(F)Now their sins are all around them;(G)they are right in front of My face.
2 It never occurs to them that I remember all their sin. Now their actions have caught up with them, and they have my attention.
Israel's Corruption
4 They all commit adultery. They are like a heated oven, an oven so hot that a baker does not have to fan its flames when he makes bread.
4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
4 They are (I)all adulterers,Like an oven heated by the bakerWho ceases to stir up the fireFrom the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
4 All of them commit adultery;(J)they are like an oven heated by a bakerwho stops stirring the firefrom the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
4 All of them are adulterers they burn like an oven prepared by the baker, who has ceased stoking it until the dough is leavened.
5 On the day of the king's celebration, the officials become drunk from the heat of wine, and the king joins mockers.
5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
5 On the (b)day of our king, the princes (J)became sick with the heat of wine;He stretched out his hand with (K)scoffers,
5 On the day of our king,the princes are sick with the heat of wine(K)—there is a conspiracy with traitors.(a)
5 "On the king's festival day the princes got drunk from wine, so the king joined the mockers.
6 They become hot inside like an oven while they lie in ambush. All night long their anger smolders, but in the morning it burns like a raging fire.
6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
6 For their hearts are like an (L)ovenAs they approach their (c)plotting;Their (d)anger (e)smolders all night,In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.
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.
6 For they have stirred up themselves like an oven as they lie in ambush. Their baker sleeps through the night; in the morning, the oven will be blazing like a fire.
7 They are all as hot as an oven. They consume their rulers like a fire. All their kings die in battle, and none of them calls to me.
7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
7 All of them are hot like an oven,And they consume their (M)rulers;All their kings have fallen.(N)None of them calls on Me.
7 All of them are as hot as an oven,(L)and they consume their rulers.(M)All their kings fall;not one of them calls on Me.(b)
7 They all burn like an oven; they have consumed their judges; all their kings have fallen not even one of them calls on me.
Israel And The Nations
8 Ephraim mixes with other nations. Ephraim, you are like a half-baked loaf of bread.
8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
8 Ephraim has allowed himself to get mixed up with the nations.Ephraim is unturned bread baked on a griddle.
8 "Ephraim compromises with the nations; he's a half-baked cake.
9 Foreigners are using up your strength, but you do not realize it. You have become a gray-haired, old man, but you do not realize it.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
9 (P)Strangers devour his strength,Yet he (Q)does not know it;Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him,Yet he does not know it.
9 Foreigners consume his strength,(N)but he does not notice.(O)Even his hair is streaked with gray,but he does not notice.
9 Foreigners have consumed his strength, and he hasn't noticed. Furthermore, his head is sprinkled with gray hair, but he doesn't realize it.
10 Israel, your arrogance testifies against you. Even after all this, you do not return to Jehovah your God or look to him for help.
10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
10 Though the (R)pride of Israel testifies against him,Yet (S)they have not returned to the Lord their God,Nor have they sought Him, for all this.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them,(c)(P)yet they do not return to Yahweh their God,(Q)and for all this, they do not seek Him.
10 Israel's arrogance testifies against him; but they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him in all of this.
11 Ephraim, you are like a simpleminded, senseless dove. You call to Egypt and run to Assyria for help.
11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
11 So (T)Ephraim has become like a silly dove, (U)without (g)sense;They call to (V)Egypt, they go to (W)Assyria.
11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove;(R)they call to Egypt,(S) and they go to Assyria.(T)
11 "Ephraim is also like a silly dove, lacking sense: They call out to Egypt, and turn toward Assyria.
12 When you go, I will spread my net over you. I will snatch you out of the air like a bird. I will punish you for all the evil things you have done.
12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
12 When they go, I will (X)spread My net over them;I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.I will (Y)chastise them in accordance with the (h)proclamation to their assembly.
12 As they are going, I will spread My net over them;(U)I will bring them down like birds of the sky.I will discipline them in accordancewith the news that reaches(d) their assembly.
12 When they go, I'll cast my net over them. I'll bring them down, as one shoots birds in the sky. I'll chasten them, as the assembly has already heard.
The Lord's Second Lament
13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.
13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
13 (Z)Woe to them, for they have (AA)strayed from Me!Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!I (AB)would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.
13 Woe to them,(V) for they fled from Me;(W)destruction to them, for they rebelled against Me!Though I want to redeem them,(X)they speak lies against Me.
13 Woe to them because they have run away from me. Ruin to them because they have sinned against me. Even though I redeemed them, they spread lies against me.
14 And they do not cry to me from their heart when they wail on their beds. For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble, but they turn away from me.
14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
14 And (AC)they do not cry to Me from their heartWhen they wail on their beds;For the sake of grain and new wine they (i)(AD)assemble themselves,They (AE)turn away from Me.
14 They do not cry to Me from their hearts;rather, they wail on their beds.They slash themselves(e)(Y) for grain and new wine;(Z)they turn away from Me.
14 They will not cry to me from their heart instead, they wail on their beds. They gather together to eat and drink, turning away from me.
15 Although I trained (disciplined) and strengthened their arms (might) (power), yet they devise evil against me.
15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
15 "Though I have taught them and strengthened their arms, nevertheless they plot evil against me.
16 They do not turn upward [to God]. They are like a loose bow. Their princes will fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.
16 They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
16 They turn, but not (j)upward,They are like a (AG)deceitful bow;Their princes will fall by the swordBecause of the (k)(AH)insolence of their tongue.This will be their (AI)derision in the land of Egypt.
16 They turn, but not to what is above;(f)they are like a faulty bow.(AC)Their leaders will fall by the swordbecause of the cursing of their tongue.(AD)They will be ridiculed for this in the land of Egypt.(AE)
16 They return but not to the Most High. They are like a defective weapon. Their princes will fall by the sword because of their raging tongue, and they will be a laughingstock in the land of Egypt."