1“When Efrayim spoke, there was trembling, he exalted himself in Yisra’el; but when he became guilty through Ba’al, he died. 2And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, according to their own understanding, even idols, all of them the work of the craftsmen; of them they say, ‘They that sacrifice men kiss calves.’ 3Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that early passes away, as the chaff that is driven with the wind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the window. 4Yet I am יהוה your Elohim from the land of Mitzrayim; and you know no Elohim but Me, and beside Me there is no Moshi’ah. 5I did know you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. 6When they were fed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me. 7Therefore am I become unto them as a lion; as a leopard will I watch by the way; 8I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the enclosure of their heart; and there will I devour them like a lioness; the wild beast shall tear them. 9It is your destruction, O Yisra’el, that you are against Me, against your help. 10Ho, now, your king, that he may save you in all your cities! And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes!’ 11I give you a king in My anger, and take him away in My wrath.”
12“The iniquity of Efrayim is bound up; his sin is laid up in store. 13The throes of a travailing woman shall come upon him; he is an unwise son; for it is time he should not tarry in the place of the breaking forth of children. 14Shall I ransom them from the power of She’ol? Shall I redeem them from Mavet? Ho, your plagues, O Mavet! Ho, your destruction, O She’ol! Repentance is hid from My eyes! 15For though he is fruitful among the reed-plants, an east wind shall come, the Ru’akh יהוה coming up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; he shall spoil the treasure of all precious vessels.”
אכְּדַבֵּר אֶפְרַיִם רְתֵת נָשָׂא הוּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיֶּאְשַׁם בַּבַּעַל וַיָּמֹת. בוְעַתָּה יוֹסִפוּ לַחֲטֹא וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם מַסֵּכָה מִכַּסְפָּם כִּתְבוּנָם עֲצַבִּים מַעֲשֵׂה חָרָשִׁים כֻּלֹּה; לָהֶם הֵם אֹמְרִים זֹבְחֵי אָדָם עֲגָלִים יִשָּׁקוּן. גלָכֵן יִהְיוּ כַּעֲנַן בֹּקֶר וְכַטַּל מַשְׁכִּים הֹלֵךְ; כְּמֹץ יְסֹעֵר מִגֹּרֶן וּכְעָשָׁן מֵאֲרֻבָּה. דוְאָנֹכִי יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם; וֵאלֹהִים זוּלָתִי לֹא תֵדָע וּמוֹשִׁיעַ אַיִן בִּלְתִּי. האֲנִי יְדַעְתִּיךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ תַּלְאֻבוֹת. וכְּמַרְעִיתָם וַיִּשְׂבָּעוּ שָׂבְעוּ וַיָּרָם לִבָּם; עַל כֵּן שְׁכֵחוּנִי. זוָאֱהִי לָהֶם כְּמוֹ שָׁחַל כְּנָמֵר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָשׁוּר. חאֶפְגְּשֵׁם כְּדֹב שַׁכּוּל וְאֶקְרַע סְגוֹר לִבָּם; וְאֹכְלֵם שָׁם כְּלָבִיא חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה תְּבַקְּעֵם. טשִׁחֶתְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי בִי בְעֶזְרֶךָ. יאֱהִי מַלְכְּךָ אֵפוֹא וְיוֹשִׁיעֲךָ בְּכָל עָרֶיךָ; וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ תְּנָה לִּי מֶלֶךְ וְשָׂרִים. יאאֶתֶּן לְךָ מֶלֶךְ בְּאַפִּי וְאֶקַּח בְּעֶבְרָתִי.
יבצָרוּר עֲוֹן אֶפְרָיִם צְפוּנָה חַטָּאתוֹ. יגחֶבְלֵי יוֹלֵדָה יָבֹאוּ לוֹ; הוּא בֵן לֹא חָכָם כִּי עֵת לֹא יַעֲמֹד בְּמִשְׁבַּר בָּנִים. ידמִיַּד שְׁאוֹל אֶפְדֵּם מִמָּוֶת אֶגְאָלֵם; אֱהִי דְבָרֶיךָ מָוֶת אֱהִי קָטָבְךָ שְׁאוֹל נֹחַם יִסָּתֵר מֵעֵינָי. טוכִּי הוּא בֵּין אַחִים יַפְרִיא; יָבוֹא קָדִים רוּחַ יהוה מִמִּדְבָּר עֹלֶה וְיֵבוֹשׁ מְקוֹרוֹ וְיֶחֱרַב מַעְיָנוֹ הוּא יִשְׁסֶה אוֹצַר כָּל כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 