8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

8:13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

8:14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

9:1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy G.o.d, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.

9:2 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

9:3 They shall not dwell in the LORD's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in a.s.syria.

9:4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

9:5 What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD? 9:6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

9:7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the mult.i.tude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

9:8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my G.o.d: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his G.o.d.

9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

9:11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

9:12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! 9:13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

9:14 Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

9:15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

9:16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.

9:17 My G.o.d will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

10:1 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the mult.i.tude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.

10:2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.

10:3 For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us? 10:4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

10:5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

10:6 It shall be also carried unto a.s.syria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

10:7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

10:8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

10:9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.

10:10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

10:11 And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I pa.s.sed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.

10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the mult.i.tude of thy mighty men.

10:14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

10:15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

11:3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, and the a.s.syrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

11:6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

11:7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.

11:8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am G.o.d, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

11:10 They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

11:11 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of a.s.syria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.

11:12 Ephraim compa.s.seth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with G.o.d, and is faithful with the saints.

12:1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the a.s.syrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

12:2 The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.

12:3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with G.o.d: 12:4 Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; 12:5 Even the LORD G.o.d of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.

12:6 Therefore turn thou to thy G.o.d: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy G.o.d continually.

12:7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

12:8 And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.