כְּדַבֵּ֤ר אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ רְתֵ֔ת נָשָׂ֥א ה֖וּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֶּאְשַׁ֥ם בַּבַּ֖עַל וַיָּמֹֽת׃ When Ephraim spoke piety,
He was exalted in Israel;
But he incurred guilt through Baal,aBaal I.e., Baal-peor; cf. 9.10.
And so he died.
וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ יוֹסִ֣פוּ לַחֲטֹ֗א וַיַּעֲשׂ֣וּ לָהֶם֩ מַסֵּכָ֨ה מִכַּסְפָּ֤ם כִּתְבוּנָם֙ עֲצַבִּ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חָרָשִׁ֖ים כֻּלֹּ֑ה לָהֶם֙ הֵ֣ם אֹמְרִ֔ים זֹבְחֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם עֲגָלִ֖ים יִשָּׁקֽוּן׃ And now they go on sinning;
They have made them molten images,
Idols, by their skill, from their silver,
Wholly the work of artisans.
Yet for these they appoint people to sacrifice;bYet for these they appoint people to sacrifice Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
They are wont to kiss calves!
לָכֵ֗ן יִֽהְיוּ֙ כַּעֲנַן־בֹּ֔קֶר וְכַטַּ֖ל מַשְׁכִּ֣ים הֹלֵ֑ךְ כְּמֹץ֙ יְסֹעֵ֣ר מִגֹּ֔רֶן וּכְעָשָׁ֖ן מֵאֲרֻבָּֽה׃ Assuredly,
They shall be like morning clouds,
Like dew so early gone;
Like chaff whirled away from the threshing floor.
And like smoke from a lattice.
וְאָנֹכִ֛י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וֵאלֹהִ֤ים זוּלָתִי֙ לֹ֣א תֵדָ֔ע וּמוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אַ֖יִן בִּלְתִּֽי׃ Only I the ETERNAL One have been your God
Ever since the land of Egypt;
You have never known a [true] God but Me,
You have never had a helper other than Me.
אֲנִ֥י יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃ I looked after you in the desert,
In a thirsty land.
כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ וַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּ שָׂבְע֖וּ וַיָּ֣רׇם לִבָּ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֖ן שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃ When they grazed, they were sated;
When they were sated, they grew haughty;
And so they forgot Me.
וָאֱהִ֥י לָהֶ֖ם כְּמוֹ־שָׁ֑חַל כְּנָמֵ֖ר עַל־דֶּ֥רֶךְ אָשֽׁוּר׃ So I am become like a lion to them,
Like a leopard I lurk on the way;
אֶפְגְּשֵׁם֙ כְּדֹ֣ב שַׁכּ֔וּל וְאֶקְרַ֖ע סְג֣וֹר לִבָּ֑ם וְאֹכְלֵ֥ם שָׁם֙ כְּלָבִ֔יא חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה תְּבַקְּעֵֽם׃ Like a bear robbed of her young I attack them
And rip open the casing of their hearts;
I will devour them there like a lion,cI will devour them there like a lion Emendation yields “There dogs shall devour them”; cf. Septuagint.
The beasts of the field shall mangle them.
שִׁחֶתְךָ֥ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כִּי־בִ֥י בְעֶזְרֶֽךָ׃ dMeaning of verse uncertain. You are undone, O Israel!
You had no help but Me.
אֱהִ֤י מַלְכְּךָ֙ אֵפ֔וֹא וְיוֹשִׁיעֲךָ֖ בְּכׇל־עָרֶ֑יךָ וְשֹׁ֣פְטֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְתָּ תְּנָה־לִּ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ וְשָׂרִֽים׃ Where now is your king?
Let him save you!
Where are the chieftains in all your towns
From whom you demanded:
“Give me a king and officers”?
אֶֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּאַפִּ֔י וְאֶקַּ֖ח בְּעֶבְרָתִֽי׃ {פ}
I give you kings in My ire,
And take them away in My wrath.
צָרוּר֙ עֲוֺ֣ן אֶפְרָ֔יִם צְפוּנָ֖ה חַטָּאתֽוֹ׃ Ephraim’s guilt is bound up,
His sin is stored away.estored away For future retribution.
חֶבְלֵ֥י יוֹלֵדָ֖ה יָבֹ֣אוּ ל֑וֹ הוּא־בֵן֙ לֹ֣א חָכָ֔ם כִּי־עֵ֥ת לֹֽא־יַעֲמֹ֖ד בְּמִשְׁבַּ֥ר בָּנִֽים׃ Pangs of childbirth assail him,
And the babe is not wise—
For this is no time to survive
At the birthstool of babes.fAnd the babe … birthstool of babes Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
מִיַּ֤ד שְׁאוֹל֙ אֶפְדֵּ֔ם מִמָּ֖וֶת אֶגְאָלֵ֑ם אֱהִ֨י דְבָרֶ֜יךָ מָ֗וֶת אֱהִ֤י קׇֽטׇבְךָ֙ שְׁא֔וֹל נֹ֖חַם יִסָּתֵ֥ר מֵעֵינָֽי׃ gThis verse would read well before 14.5. From Sheol itself I will save them,
Redeem them from very Death.
Where, O Death, are your plagues?
Your pestilence where, O Sheol?
Revenge shall be far from My thoughts.hRevenge shall be far from My thoughts Lit. “Satisfaction (for this meaning of nḥm see Deut. 32.36; Isa. 1.24) shall be hidden from My eyes.”
כִּ֣י ה֔וּא בֵּ֥ין אַחִ֖ים יַפְרִ֑יא יָב֣וֹא קָדִים֩ ר֨וּחַ יְהֹוָ֜ה מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר עֹלֶ֗ה וְיֵב֤וֹשׁ מְקוֹרוֹ֙ וְיֶחֱרַ֣ב מַעְיָנ֔וֹ ה֣וּא יִשְׁסֶ֔ה אוֹצַ֖ר כׇּל־כְּלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה׃ For though he flourish among reeds,
A blast, a wind of GOD,
Shall come blowing up from the wilderness;
His fountain shall be parched,
His spring dried up.
That [wind] shall plunder treasures,
Every lovely object.