כְּרׇפְאִ֣י לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְנִגְלָ֞ה עֲוֺ֤ן אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ וְרָע֣וֹת שֹׁמְר֔וֹן כִּ֥י פָעֲל֖וּ שָׁ֑קֶר וְגַנָּ֣ב יָב֔וֹא פָּשַׁ֥ט גְּד֖וּד בַּחֽוּץ׃ When I would heal Israel,
The guilt of Ephraim reveals itself
And the wickedness of Samaria.
For they have acted treacherously,
With thieves breaking in
And bands raiding outside.
וּבַל־יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ לִלְבָבָ֔ם כׇּל־רָעָתָ֖ם זָכָ֑רְתִּי עַתָּה֙ סְבָב֣וּם מַעַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם נֶ֥גֶד פָּנַ֖י הָיֽוּ׃ And they do not consider
That I remembered all their wickedness.
Why, their misdeeds have been all around them,athem Emendation yields “Me.”
They have been ever before Me.
בְּרָעָתָ֖ם יְשַׂמְּחוּ־מֶ֑לֶךְ וּבְכַחֲשֵׁיהֶ֖ם שָׂרִֽים׃ bVv. 3–6 would read well in the order 4, 6, 3, 5. In malice they make a king merry,
And officials in treachery.
כֻּלָּם֙ מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים כְּמ֣וֹ תַנּ֔וּר בֹּעֵ֖רָה מֵאֹפֶ֑ה יִשְׁבּ֣וֹת מֵעִ֔יר מִלּ֥וּשׁ בָּצֵ֖ק עַד־חֻמְצָתֽוֹ׃ They commit adultery,ccommit adultery Emendation yields “rage.” all of them,
Like an oven fired by a baker,
Who desists from stoking only
From the kneading of the dough to its leavening.
י֣וֹם מַלְכֵּ֔נוּ הֶחֱל֥וּ שָׂרִ֖ים חֲמַ֣ת מִיָּ֑יִן מָשַׁ֥ךְ יָד֖וֹ אֶת־לֹצְצִֽים׃ The day they made our king sick
[And] officials with the poison of wine,
He gave his hand to traitors.dHe gave his hand to traitors I.e., he trusted traitors; but meaning of verse uncertain.
כִּֽי־קֵרְב֧וּ כַתַּנּ֛וּר לִבָּ֖ם בְּאׇרְבָּ֑ם כׇּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ יָשֵׁ֣ן אֹֽפֵהֶ֔ם בֹּ֕קֶר ה֥וּא בֹעֵ֖ר כְּאֵ֥שׁ לֶהָבָֽה׃ For they approach their ambush
With their hearts like an oven:eFor they approach … like an oven Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Through the night
Their bakerfbaker Emendation yields “rage.” has slept;
In the morning, it flares up
Like a blazing fire.
כֻּלָּ֤ם יֵחַ֙מּוּ֙ כַּתַּנּ֔וּר וְאָכְל֖וּ אֶת־שֹׁפְטֵיהֶ֑ם כׇּל־מַלְכֵיהֶ֣ם נָפָ֔לוּ אֵין־קֹרֵ֥א בָהֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃ They all get heated like an oven
And devour their rulers—
None of them calls to Me.
All their kings have fallen [by their hand].
אֶפְרַ֕יִם בָּעַמִּ֖ים ה֣וּא יִתְבּוֹלָ֑ל אֶפְרַ֛יִם הָיָ֥ה עֻגָ֖ה בְּלִ֥י הֲפוּכָֽה׃ gMeaning of verse uncertain. Ephraim is among the peoples;
He is rotting away.
Ephraim is like a cake—
Incapable of turning.
אָכְל֤וּ זָרִים֙ כֹּח֔וֹ וְה֖וּא לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע גַּם־שֵׂיבָה֙ זָ֣רְקָה בּ֔וֹ וְה֖וּא לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃ Strangers have consumed his strength,
But he has taken no notice;
Also, moldhmold Like Akkadian shību; in contrast to others “gray hairs.” is scattered over him,
But he has taken no notice.
וְעָנָ֥ה גְאֽוֹן־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָנָ֑יו וְלֹא־שָׁ֙בוּ֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א בִקְשֻׁ֖הוּ בְּכׇל־זֹֽאת׃ Though Israel’s pride has been humbled
Before his very eyes,
They have not turned back
To their God the ETERNAL One—
Whom they have not sought
Despite everything.
וַיְהִ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם כְּיוֹנָ֥ה פוֹתָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לֵ֑ב מִצְרַ֥יִם קָרָ֖אוּ אַשּׁ֥וּר הָלָֽכוּ׃ Instead, Ephraim has acted
Like a silly dove with no mind:
They have appealed to Egypt!
They have gone to Assyria!
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵלֵ֗כוּ אֶפְר֤וֹשׂ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ רִשְׁתִּ֔י כְּע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם אוֹרִידֵ֑ם אַיְסִירֵ֕ם כְּשֵׁ֖מַע לַעֲדָתָֽם׃ {ס} When they go, I will spread
My net over them,
I will bring them down
Like birds of the sky;
I will chastise them
When I hear their bargaining.iI will chastise them / When I hear their bargaining Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
א֤וֹי לָהֶם֙ כִּֽי־נָדְד֣וּ מִמֶּ֔נִּי שֹׁ֥ד לָהֶ֖ם כִּי־פָ֣שְׁעוּ בִ֑י וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶפְדֵּ֔ם וְהֵ֕מָּה דִּבְּר֥וּ עָלַ֖י כְּזָבִֽים׃ Woe to them
For straying from Me;
Destruction to them
For rebelling against Me!
For I was their Redeemer;
Yet they have plotted treason against Me.
וְלֹא־זָעֲק֤וּ אֵלַי֙ בְּלִבָּ֔ם כִּ֥י יְיֵלִ֖ילוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם עַל־דָּגָ֧ן וְתִיר֛וֹשׁ יִתְגּוֹרָ֖רוּ יָס֥וּרוּ בִֽי׃ jThis verse would read well after 8.2. But they did not cry out to Me sincerely
As they lay wailing.klay wailing Like true penitents; cf. Isa. 58.5.
They debauchldebauch Cf. Aramaic gar/yegur “to commit adultery”; for the thought, cf. 4.11. over new grain and new wine,
They are faithlessmfaithless Taking yasuru as equivalent to yasoru, from sarar; cf. 9.15 end. to Me.
וַאֲנִ֣י יִסַּ֔רְתִּי חִזַּ֖קְתִּי זְרוֹעֹתָ֑ם וְאֵלַ֖י יְחַשְּׁבוּ־רָֽע׃ I braced, I strengthened their arms,
And they plot evil against Me!
יָשׁ֣וּבוּ ׀ לֹ֣א עָ֗ל הָיוּ֙ כְּקֶ֣שֶׁת רְמִיָּ֔ה יִפְּל֥וּ בַחֶ֛רֶב שָׂרֵיהֶ֖ם מִזַּ֣עַם לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם ז֥וֹ לַעְגָּ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ They come back;
They have been of no use,nThey have been of no use Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Like a slack bow.
Their officers shall fall by the sword,
Because of the stammeringostammering Cf. Arabic zaghūm and zughmūm “a stammerer.” of their tongues.
Such shall be [the results of] their jabberingpjabbering I.e., the negotiations conducted in the Egyptian language.
In the land of Egypt.