<p class="poetry">I have seen a disgusting thing in the temple of Israel:p> <p class="poetry">there Ephraim practices temple prostitutionp> <p class="poetry">and Judah defiles itself.p>

<p class="poetry">Israel cries out to me,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;My God, we acknowledge you!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">But Israel has rejected what is morally good;p> <p class="poetry">so an enemy will pursue him.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I will destroy you,<n id="1" /> O Israel!p> <p class="poetry">Who<n id="2" /> is there to help you?p>

<t /><p class="poetry">When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and I summoned my son<n id="2" /> out of Egypt.p>

At that time,<n id="1" /> I will destroy the military power<n id="2" /> of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Israel has rebelled<n id="1" /> like a stubborn heifer!p> <p class="poetry">Soon<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> will put them out to pasturep> <p class="poetry">like a lamb in a broad field!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The arrogance of Israel testifies against it;p> <p class="poetry">Israel and Ephraim will be overthrown<n id="1" /> because<n id="2" /> of their iniquity.p> <p class="poetry">Even Judah will be brought down<n id="3" /> with them.p>

<p class="poetry">Ephraim will be ruined in the day of judgment!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">What I am declaring<n id="2" /> to the tribes of Israel will certainly take place!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Israel will be swallowed up among the nations;p> <p class="poetry">they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Jacob fled to the country of Aram,p> <p class="poetry">then Israel worked<n id="1" /> to acquire a wife;p> <p class="poetry">he tended sheep to pay for her.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> brought Israel out of Egypt by a prophet,p> <p class="poetry">and due to a prophet<n id="1" /> Israel<n id="2" /> was preserved alive.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Return, O Israel, to the <sc>Lordsc> your God,p> <p class="poetry">for your sin has been your downfall!<n id="1" />p>

Then the people<n id="1" /> of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint for themselves one leader,<n id="2" /> and will flourish in the land.<n id="3" /> Certainly,<n id="4" /> the day of Jezreel will be great!

For the Israelites<n id="1" /> must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols.

Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the <sc>Lordsc> their God and their Davidic king.<n id="1" /> Then they will submit to the <sc>Lordsc> in fear and receive his blessings<n id="2" /> in the future.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Although you, O Israel, commit adultery,p> <p class="poetry">do not let Judah become guilty!p> <p class="poetry">Do not journey to Gilgal!p> <p class="poetry">Do not go up to Beth Aven!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not swear, &#8220;As surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">I know Ephraim all too well;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the evil of<n id="2" /> Israel is not hidden from me.p> <p class="poetry">For you have engaged in prostitution, O Ephraim;p> <p class="poetry">Israel has defiled itself.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The arrogance of Israel testifies against him,p> <p class="poetry">yet they refuse to return to the <sc>Lordsc> their God!p> <p class="poetry">In spite of all this they refuse to seek him!p>

<p class="poetry">Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces,p> <p class="poetry">and Judah has built many fortified cities.p> <p class="poetry">But I will send fire on their cities;p> <p class="poetry">it will consume their royal citadels.p>