5:4 Their wicked deeds do not allow them to return to their God;
because a spirit of idolatry 1 controls their heart, 2
and they do not acknowledge the Lord.
11:9 I cannot carry out 3 my fierce anger!
I cannot totally destroy Ephraim!
Because I am God, and not man – the Holy One among you –
I will not come in wrath!
1 tn Heb “a spirit of harlotries”; NIV “a spirit of prostitution”; TEV “Idolatry has a powerful hold on them.” However, CEV takes this literally: “your constant craving for sex keeps you from knowing me.”
2 tn Heb “is in their heart” (so NIV); NASB, NRSV “is within them.”
3 tn The three imperfect verbs function as imperfects of capability, similar to the imperfects of capability in 11:8. See IBHS 564 §34.1a.