And I have caused to cease all her joy, Her festival, her new moon, and her sabbath, Even all her appointed times,

Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people are as those striving with a priest.

And as bands do wait for a man, A company of priests do murder -- the way to Shechem, For wickedness they have done.

Cast off hath thy calf, O Samaria, Burned hath Mine anger against them, Till when are they not capable of purity?

The sacrifices of Mine offerings! They sacrifice flesh, and they eat, Jehovah hath not accepted them, Now doth He remember their iniquity, And inspect their sin, They -- to Egypt they turn back.

Come in have the days of inspection, Come in have the days of recompence, Israel doth know! a fool is the prophet, Mad is the man of the Spirit, Because of the abundance of thine iniquity, And great is the hatred.

For though they nourish their sons, I have made them childless -- without man, Surely also, woe to them, when I turn aside from them.

With cords of man I do draw them, With thick cords of love, And I am to them as a raiser up of a yoke on their jaws, And I incline unto him -- I feed him.

I do not the fierceness of My anger, I turn not back to destroy Ephraim, For God I am, and not a man. In thy midst the Holy One, and I enter not in enmity,

And now do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding -- idols, A work of artisans -- all of it, Of them they say, who are sacrificers among men, 'The calves let them kiss.'

I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.

From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I redeem them, Where is thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction, O Sheol? Repentance is hid from Mine eyes.

I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him.