Chapter 8

¹ He shall come into their ¹midst as the land, as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and have sinned against my law. ² They shall soon cry out to me, saying, O God, we know thee. ³ For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy. ⁴ They have made kings for themselves, but not by me: they have ruled, but they did not make it known to me: of their silver and their gold they have made images to themselves, that they might be destroyed.

⁵ Cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be unable to purge themselves in Israel? ⁶ Whereas the workman made it, and it is not God; wherefore thy calf, Samaria, was a deceiver: ⁷ for they sowed blighted seed, and their destruction shall await them, a sheaf of corn that avails not to make meal; and even if it should produce it, strangers shall devour it. ⁸ Israel is swallowed up: now is he become among the nations as a

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worthless vessel. ⁹ For they have gone up to the Assyrians: Ephraim has ²been strengthened against himself; they loved gifts. ¹⁰ Therefore shall they be delivered to the nations: now I will receive them, and they shall cease a little to anoint a king and princes.

¹¹ Because Ephraim has multiplied altars, his beloved altars are become sins to him. ¹² I will write down a multitude of commands for him; but his statutes are accounted strange things, even the beloved altars. ¹³ For if they should offer a sacrifice, and eat flesh, the lord will not accept them: now will he remember their iniquities, and will take vengeance on their sins: they have returned to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things among the Assyrians. ¹⁴ And Israel has forgotten him that made him, and they have built ³fanes, and Juda has multiplied walled cities: but I will send fire on his cities, and it shall devour their foundations.

Chapter 9

¹ Rejoice not, O Israel, neither make merry, as other nations: for thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God; thou hast loved gifts upon every threshing-floor. ² The threshing-floor and wine-press knew them not, and the wine disappointed them. ³ They dwelt not in the Lord's land: Ephraim dwelt in Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things among the Assyrians. ⁴ They have not offered wine to the Lord, neither have their sacrifices been sweet to him, but as the bread of mourning to them; all that eat them shall be defiled; for their bread for their soul shall not enter into the house of the Lord.

⁵ What will ye do in the day of the general assembly, and in the day of the feast of the Lord? ⁶ Therefore, behold, they go forth from the trouble of Egypt, and Memphis shall receive them, and Machmas shall bury them: as for their silver, destruction shall inherit it; thorns shall be in their tents.

⁷ The days of vengeance are come, the days of thy recompense are come; and Israel shall be afflicted as the prophet that is mad, as a man ⁴deranged: by reason of the multitude of thine iniquities thy madness has abounded. ⁸ The watchman of Ephraim was with God: the prophet is a crooked snare in all his ways: they have established madness in the house of God. ⁹ They ⁵have corrupted themselves according to the days of the hill: he will remember their iniquities, he will take vengeance on their sins.

¹⁰ I found Israel as grapes in the wilderness, and I saw their fathers as an early watchman in a fig-tree: they went in to Beel-phegor, and were ⁶shamefully estranged, and the ⁷abominable became as the beloved. ¹¹ Ephraim has flown away as a bird; their glories from the birth, and the travail, and the conception. ¹² For even if they should rear their children, yet shall they be utterly bereaved: wherefore also there is woe to them, though my flesh is of them. ¹³ Ephraim, even as I saw, gave their children for a prey; yea, Ephraim was ready to bring out his children to slaughter.

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¹⁴ Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give them? a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts. ¹⁵ All their wickedness is in Galgal: for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their practices, I will cast them out of my house, I will not love them any more: all their princes are disobedient. ¹⁶ Ephraim is sick, he is dried up at his roots, he shall in no wise any more bear fruit: wherefore even if they should beget children, I will kill the desired fruit of their womb. ¹⁷ God shall reject them, because they have not hearkened to him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.