Yet the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, You are not My people, there it shall be said to them, You are the sons of the living God.

lest I strip her naked and set her out as in the day that she was born; and lest I make her as the wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

And I will give her vineyards to her from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another. For your people are as those who strive with the priest.

As they were increased, so they sinned against Me. I will change their glory into shame.

Though you, Israel, fornicate, yet do not let Judah become guilty. And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah lives.

For Israel slides back like a backsliding heifer. Now Jehovah will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

Therefore I am as a moth to Ephraim, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a strong lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away. I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

Then we shall know, if we follow on to know Jehovah. His going out is prepared as the morning; and He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth.

O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your goodness is like a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away.

So I have cut them down by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth. And your judgments were as the light that goes forth.

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, the company of priests murder in the way of Shechem; for they committed wickedness.

They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings have fallen; there is none among them who calls to Me.

When they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like the birds of the heavens; I will chastise them, as a report to their congregation.

Israel is swallowed up; now they shall be among the nations as a vessel in which there is no pleasure.

For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself. Ephraim has hired lovers.

I have written to him the great things of My Law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

They have deeply corrupted, as in days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first-fruit in the fig tree at her first time. But they went to Baal-peor and set themselves apart to a shameful thing; and they became abominable like that which they loved.

As for Samaria, her king is cut off as a bough on the water.

And an uproar shall arise among your peoples, and all your fortresses shall be spoiled, as the ruin of Beth-arbel by Shalman in the day of battle. The mother was dashed in pieces on her sons.

As they called them, so they went from them. They sacrifice to the Baals, and burn incense to graven images.

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love; and I was to them as those who take off the yoke on their jaws, and I gently give food to him.

How shall I give you up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver you, Israel? How shall I make you like Admah? How shall I set you as Zeboim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassions are kindled together.

And I Jehovah, who have been your God from the land of Egypt, will yet make you to dwell in tents as in the days of the appointed feast.

Is there iniquity in Gilead? Surely they are vanity; they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal. Yes, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passes away, as the chaff storm-driven out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Therefore I will be as a lion to them; as a leopard by the way I will watch them.

I will be as the dew to Israel; he shall grow as the lily and cast out his roots like Lebanon.

His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

They who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive like the grain, and grow like the vine. Their scent shall be as the wine of Lebanon.