And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them. She shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better with me than now.

And now I will uncover her shamefulness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of my hand.

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

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me. For now, O Ephraim, you have fornicated; Israel is defiled.

They have acted treacherously against Jehovah, for they have brought out strange sons. Now a new moon shall devour them with their portions.

And they do not say within their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their own doings have hemmed them in; they are before My face.

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

Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now I will gather them. And they began to be few, from the burden of the king of rulers.

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of My offerings, and eat it; but Jehovah does not receive them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt.

Their heart is divided; now they shall be guilty. He shall break down their altars, and He shall spoil their images.

For now they shall say, We have no king because we did not fear Jehovah; what then should a king do to us?

And now they sin more and more, and have made themselves a molten image of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.

Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities; and your judges of whom you said, Give me a king and rulers?