Nevertheless I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them even through the LORD their God. But I will not deliver them through any bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen."

Then said he, "Call his name Loammi. For why? Ye are not my people, therefore will I not be yours.

And though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, which can neither be measured nor told: yet in the place where it is said unto them, 'Ye be not my people': even there shall it be thus reported of them, 'They be the children of the living God.'

Tell your brethren, that they are my people; and your sistren, that they have obtained mercy.

As for your mother, ye shall chide with her, and reprove her: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband, unless she put away her whoredoms out of my sight, and her adultery from her breasts.

I will destroy her vineyards and fig trees, though she sayeth, 'Lo, here are my rewards, that my lovers have given me.' I will make it a wood, and the wild beasts shall eat it up.

Then will I make a covenant with them, with the wild beasts, with the fowls of the air, and with everything that creepeth upon the earth. As for bow, sword and battle, I will destroy such out of the land, and will make them to sleep safely.

I will sow them upon earth, for a seed to mine own self, and will have mercy upon her, that was without mercy. And to them which were not my people, I will say, 'Thou art my people.' And he shall say, 'Thou art my God.'"

Therefore shall the land be in a miserable cause, and all they that dwell therein, shall mourn. The beasts in the field, the fowls in the air, and the fishes in the sea shall die.

Yet is there none, that will chasten nor reprove another. The priests which should reform other men, are become like the people.

They make sacrifices upon the high mountains, and burn their incense upon the hills, yea among the oaks, groves and bushes, for there are good shadows. Therefore your daughters are become harlots, and your spouses have broken their wedlock.

I will not punish your daughters for being defiled, and your brides that became whores: seeing the fathers themselves have meddled with harlots, and offered with unthriftiness: but the people that will not understand must be punished.

Though thou, Israel, are disposed to play the harlot, yet shouldest not thou have offended, O Judah. Thou shouldest not have run to Gilgal, nor gone up to Bethaven, nor have sworn, 'The LORD liveth.'

O ye priests, hear this; take heed, O thou household of Israel; give ear, O thou kingly house. For this punishment will come upon you, that are become a snare unto Mizphah, and a spread net unto the mount of Tabor.

They are not minded to turn unto their God, for they have an whorish heart, so that they cannot know the LORD.

Yet are the princes of Judah become like them, that remove the landmarks: therefore will I pour out my wrath upon them like water.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his disease: Ephraim went unto Assyria, and sent unto king Jareb: yet could not he help you, nor ease you of your pain.

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, how shall I entreat thee? Seeing your love is like a morning cloud, and like a dew that goeth early away.

All these burn in adultery, as it were an oven that the baker heateth when he hath left kneading, till the dough be leavened.

Even so goeth it this day with our kings and princes, for they begin to be wood drunken through wine: they use familiarity with such as deceive them.

They with the imagination of their heart are like an oven, their sleep is all night like the sleep of a baker, in the morning is he as hot as the flame of fire:

they are altogether as hot as an oven. They have devoured their own judges, all their kings are fallen: yet is there none of them that calleth upon me.

but while they be going here and there, I shall spread my net over them, and draw them down as the fowls of the air. And according as they have been warned, so will I punish them.

They turn themselves, but not aright, and are become as a broken bow. Their princes shall be slain with the sword for the malice of their tongues, such blasphemies have they learned in the land of Egypt.

Since they went up to the Assyrians, they are become like a wild ass in the desert. Ephraim giveth rewards to get lovers.

Therefore are they scattered among the Heathen; There will I gather them up. They shall soon be weary of the burden of king and princes.

They pour out no wine for a drink offering unto the LORD, neither give they him their slain offerings: but they be unto them as mourner's meats, wherein all they that eat them are defiled. For the bread that they have such lust unto, shall not come into the house of the LORD.

Be ye sure, O Israel: the time of visitation is come, the days of recompensing are at hand. As for the prophet, ye hold him for a fool; and him that is rich in the spirit, for a mad man: so great is your wickedness and malice.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, and saw their fathers as the first figs in the top of the fig tree. But they are gone to Baalpeor, and run away from me to that shameful Idol, and are become as abominable as their lovers.

All their wickedness is done at Gilgal, there do I abhor them. For the ungraciousness of their own inventions, I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more, for all their princes are unfaithful.

The high places of Aven, where Israel do sin, shall be cast down: thistles and thorns shall grow upon their altars. Then shall they say to the mountains, "Cover us," and to the hills, "Fall upon us."

O Israel, thou hast sinned as Gibeah did afore time, where they remained: should not the battle then come upon the wicked children, as well as upon the Gibeonites?

there shall grow a sedition among thy people. All thy strong cities shall be laid waste, even as Shalman was destroyed with his familiars, through him that was avenged of Arbel in the day of battle: where the mother perished with her children.

Even so shall it go with you, O Bethel, because of your malicious wickedness. Like as the morning goeth away, so shall the king of Israel pass.

But the more they were called, the more they went back, offering unto Idols, and censing Images.

What great things have I given thee, O Ephraim? How faithfully have I defended thee, O Israel? Have I dealt with thee as with Adam? Or have I entreated thee like Zeboim? No, my heart is otherwise minded. Yea, my mercy is to fervent:

Ephraim keepeth the air, and followeth after the east wind: he is ever increasing lies and destruction. They be confederate with the Assyrians, their oil is carried into Egypt.

But at Gilead is the abomination, they are fallen to vanity. At Gilgal they have slain oxen: and as many heaps of stones as they had in their land furrows, so many altars have they made.

But when they were well fed and had enough, they waxed proud, and forgot me.

Where are thy kings now, that shouldest help thee in all thy cities? Yea and thy judges, of whom thou sayest, "Give me a king and princes?"

As for Samaria, they shall be made waste. And why? They are disobedient unto their God. They shall perish with the sword, their children shall be slain, and their women great with child shall be ripped up.

Assyria shall not save us, neither will we ride on horses: neither will we say to the works of our own hands, 'Ye are our Gods,' for thou hast compassion on the friendless.

Who is wise to understand these things and hath wit to perceive them? For the ways of the LORD are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them: but the wicked shall tumble in them.