<p class="poetry">I will commit myself to you<n id="1" /> forever;p> <p class="poetry">I will commit myself to you in<n id="2" /> righteousness and justice,p> <p class="poetry">in steadfast love and tender compassion.p>

<p class="poetry">Ephraim will be oppressed,<n id="1" /> crushed<n id="2" /> under judgment,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because he was determined to pursue worthless idols.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore, I will certainly cut<n id="1" /> you into pieces at the hands of the prophets;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will certainly kill you<n id="3" /> in fulfillment of my oracles of judgment;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="5" /> my judgment<n id="6" /> will come forth like the light of the dawn.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">They<n id="1" /> utter empty words,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">taking<n id="3" /> false oaths and making empty<n id="4" /> agreements.p> <p class="poetry">Therefore legal disputes sprout upp> <p class="poetry">like poisonous weeds<n id="5" /> in the furrows of a plowed field.p>

<p class="poetry">But you must return<n id="1" /> to your God,p> <p class="poetry">by maintaining love and justice,p> <p class="poetry">and by waiting<n id="2" /> for your God to return to you.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Hear this, you priests!p> <p class="poetry">Pay attention, you Israelites!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Listen closely,<n id="2" /> O king!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For judgment is about to overtake you!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For you were like a trap<n id="5" /> to Mizpah,<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">like a net<n id="7" /> spread out to catch Tabor.<n id="8" />p>