For their mother, hath been unchaste, and she that conceived them, hath caused shame, - for she said, Let me go after my lovers! who used to give my bread, and my water, my wool, and my flax, mine oil, and my drink.

Therefore, behold me! hedging up her way, with thorns, - and I will wall her in, and, her footpaths, shall she not find.

And, when she shall pursue her lovers, and not overtake them, and shall seek them and not find, then will she say, Let me go my way now! and return unto my first husband, for it was better with me, then, than, now!

Therefore, will I again take away my corn, in the time thereof, and my new wine, in the season thereof, - and will recover my wool and my flax given to hide her shame.

Now, therefore, will I expose her unseemliness, before the eyes of her lovers, - and no, man, shall deliver her out of my hand!

And will lay waste her vine and her fig- tree, as to which she hath said, A present, are they for myself, which my lovers, have given me, - and I will make of them a thicket, and the wild beasts of the field shall devour them.

So will I visit upon her the days of the Baals, unto whom she used to burn incense, and decked herself with her nose-ring and her jewelry, and went her way after her lovers, - whereas, me, she forgat, Declareth Yahweh.

And it shall come to pass, in that day, Declareth Yahweh, that she will call me Ishi, and will not call me any more, Baali.

So will I sow her unto me in the land, and will have compassion upon the uncompassionated one, - and will say to him who was No-people-of-mine, My people, thou art, and, he, shall say, My God!

Then said Yahweh unto me, Once more, go love a woman who loveth a friend, and is an adulteress, - according to the love of Yahweh unto the sons of Israel, though they keep turning away unto other gods, and love idolatrous raisin-cakes.

So I secured n her to me, for fifteen pieces of silver, - and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;

and I said unto her, Many days, shalt thou tarry for me, thou shalt not be unchaste, neither shalt thou become another man's, - moreover also, I, will tarry for thee.

My people, are destroyed, for lack of knowledge, - Because, thou, hast rejected knowledge, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also, will forget thy children.

As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, - My glory - for what was contemptible, did they exchange.

The sin of my people, they do eat, - and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.

My people, of their Wood, do ask, - Let, their Staff, then tell them, - for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under their God.

The wind hath bound her up in its wings, - that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.

I, have known Ephraim, and, Israel, hath not been hidden from me, - for, now, hast thou committed unchastity, O Ephraim, Israel, hath made himself impure.

The rulers of Judah have become as they who remove a land-mark. Upon them, will I pour out, like water, my wrath.

I will depart, will return unto my place! till what time they acknowledge their guilt, and seek my face, - In their trouble, will they make for me diligent search.

He will bring us to life, after two days, - on the third day, will he raise us up, that we may live before him.

Then let us know - let us press on to know - Yahweh, Like the dawn, is his coming forth assured, - that he may come like a down-pour upon us, like the harvest-rain, and the seed-rain of the land.

For this cause, have I hewn them in pieces by the prophets, I have slain them by the sayings of my mouth, - and, my justice, as a light goeth forth.

But, they, like Adam, have transgressed a covenant, - There, have they dealt treacherously with me.

Judah too! a harvest is appointed for thee, - in that I will bring back the captivity of my people.

And they say not to their own hearts, that, all their wickedness, I remember, now, have their doings, beset them about, right before my face, have they been done.

They all, become hot as an oven, and devour their judges, - all their kings, have fallen, there hath been none among them crying unto me.

Whithersoever they go, I will spread over them my net, like a bird of the heavens, will I bring them down, I will chastise them, by the time the report can reach the flock of them.

Woe to them! for they have taken flight from me, destruction to them! for they have transgressed against me, - when, I, would have ransomed them, then, they, spake - concerning me - falsehoods.

Neither made they outcry unto me, in their heart, although they kept on howling upon their beds, over corn and new wine, they gathered themselves together, they rebelled against me.

When, I, had warned them, I strengthened their arm, - yet, against me, kept they on devising wickedness.

To thy mouth, with a horn! Like an eagle, on the house of Yahweh, - because they have violated my covenant, and, against my law, have they transgressed.

Unto me, shall they make outcry, My God! we acknowledge thee - we , Israel!

They, have appointed kings, but not from me, have made rulers, but I have not acknowledged them: of their silver and their gold, they made themselves idols, to the end they might be cut off.

I have been wont to write for him the myriad things of my law, - Like something alien, have they been accounted.

My sacrificial gifts, have they been sacrificing as common flesh, and have eaten, Yahweh, hath not accepted them, - Now, will he call to mind their iniquity, that he may punish their sin, they, to Egypt, will return.

The watchman of Ephraim, should have been with my God: As for the prophet, the snare of the fowler, is on all his ways, a prosecution awaiteth him , in the house of his God.

All their wickedness, is in Gilgal, yea, there, have I come to hate them, For the wickedness of their doings - out of my house, will I drive them forth, - no more will I love them, all their rulers, are unruly.

My God will reject them, because they hearkened not unto him, - that they may become wanderers throughout the nations.

Itself also, to Assyria, shall be borne along, as a present to a hostile king, - shame, shall Ephraim receive, that Israel, may be ashamed, of his own counsel.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap ye at thc bidding of lovingkindness, furrow to yourselves the newly-ploughed soil, - then will be the time to seek Yahweh, until he come, that he may rain down righteousness for you.

When Israel was, a child, then I loved him, - and, out of Egypt, called I my son.

They invited them, - at once, they departed from before me, they, to the Baals, sacrificed, and, to the images, offered incense.

But, my people, are bent towards turning from me, though upwards they call them, none of them can lift them.

How can I give thee up, Ephraim? abandon thee Israel? How can I make thee as Admah? set thee as Zeboim? Mine own heart, turneth against me, at once, are kindled my compassions.

They have compassed me about - with denial, Ephraim, with deceit, the house of Israel, - but, Judah, hath, again and again, run riot with GOD, though, with the holy places, entrusted.

But, a controversy, hath Yahweh with Judah, - so that he may bring punishment on Jacob, according to his ways, According to his doings, repay him.

So then Ephraim said, Surely I have gotten me riches, I have found wealth for myself, - in all my toils, they cannot find in me perversity which is sin.

And I will lay my word upon the prophets, yea, I myself, have magnified, vision, - and, by the hand of the prophets, will I use similitudes.

Yet, I, Yahweh, have been thy God from the land of Egypt, - and, god beside me, shalt thou not acknowledge, for, saviour, is there none besides me.

Whenever they were pastured, then were they satisfied, They were satisfied, and their heart, was lifted up, - because of this, they forgat me.

I will fall upon them as a bear bereaved, and will read asunder the enclosure of their heart, - that I may devour them there, like a lioness, the wild beast of the field, shall tear them in pieces.

It hath utterly destroyed thee, O Israel, for it was against me, as thy helper!

Where is thy king, then, that he may save thee throughout all thy cities? and thy judges, concerning whom thou saidst, Oh give me a king and rulers?

I might give thee a king in mine anger, and take him away in my wrath.

Though, he, among brethren, be fruitful, there shall come in an east wind, the blast of Yahweh out of the desert coming up, that his spring, may dry up, and his fountain, be exhausted, he, will rob the treasure-house of all the vessels of delight.

His branches, shall spread, that, like an olive-tree, may be his fresh beauty, - and his fragrance, like Lebanon.

Ephraim saith - What to me any more are idols? I, have answered, and have closely observed him, I, am like a fir-tree that is green, From me, is thy fruit found.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things? intelligent, that he may take knowledge of them? For, straightforward, are the ways of Yahweh, and, the righteous, shall travel therein, but, transgressors, shall stumble therein.