There I will restore her vineyards to her, and the Valley of Achor will become a doorway to hope. There she will respond as she did in her youth, when she came up from Egypt."

"Ephraim is also like a silly dove, lacking sense: They call out to Egypt, and turn toward Assyria.

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."

They offer me meat from the sacrifices of my offerings, and they eat from it, but the LORD does not accept them. He will now remember their transgression and pay them back for their sins; to Egypt they will return.

They will not live in the LORD's land Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

Look! They have gone away because of the destruction Egypt will gather them up, and Memphis will bury them. Weeds will overgrow their inheritance, and thorns will grow in their tents.

"When Israel was a young child I loved him, and from Egypt I called my son.

"They will not return to the land of Egypt; instead, the Assyrian will be their king, because they kept refusing to repent.

Trembling like a bird, they will come out of Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses," declares the LORD.

"Ephraim feeds on the wind, chasing after the eastern winds, storing up lies and desolation day after day. They are making a contract with the Assyrians, and sending oil to Egypt.

"Yet I remain the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival of that name.

"By a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was rescued.

"I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt, and you have known no god except for me, because except for me there is no savior.