However, in the future I will allure her; ¹  I will lead ²  her back into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

I will commit myself to you in faithfulness; then ¹  you will acknowledge ²  the Lord.” ³ 

There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. They resort to violence and bloodshed. ¹ 

They consume their alcohol, then engage in cult prostitution; they dearly love their shameful behavior.

They have committed treason ¹  against the Lord, because they bore illegitimate children. Soon ²  the new moon festival will devour them and their fields.

Ephraim will be oppressed, ¹  crushed ²  under judgment, ³  because he was determined to pursue worthless idols. ⁴ 

Ephraim has been like a dove, easily deceived and lacking discernment. They called to Egypt for help; they turned to Assyria for protection.

They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers. ¹ 

My God will reject them, for they have not obeyed him; so they will be fugitives among the nations.

But the more I summoned ¹  them, the farther they departed from me. ²  They sacrificed to the Baal idols and burned incense to images.

When they were fed, ¹  they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; ²  as a result, they forgot me!

“I will heal their waywardness ¹  and love them freely, ²  for my anger will turn ³  away from them.

For their mother has committed adultery; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, “I will seek out ¹  my lovers; ²  they are the ones who give me my bread and my water, my wool, my flax, my olive oil, and my wine. ³ 

I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men consort with harlots, they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. It is true: ¹  “A people that lacks understanding will come to ruin!”

“At that time, ¹  I will willingly respond,” ²  declares the Lord. “I will respond to the sky, and the sky ³  will respond to the ground;

Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah! Sound the trumpet in Ramah! Sound the alarm in Beth Aven! ¹  Tremble in fear, ²  O Benjamin!

They do not pray to me, ¹  but howl in distress on their beds; They slash themselves ²  for grain and new wine, but turn away from me.

They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind! The stalk does not have any standing grain; it will not produce any flour. Even if it were to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it all up.

Very soon they will say, “We have no king since we did not fear the Lord. But what can a king do for us anyway?”

Yet it was I who led ¹  Ephraim, I took them by the arm; but they did not acknowledge that I had healed them. ²