<p class="poetry">I have appointed a time to reap judgment<n id="1" /> for you also, O Judah!p><t /><p class="poetry">Whenever I want to restore the fortunes of my people,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You stumble day and night,p> <p class="poetry">and the false prophets stumble with you;p> <p class="poetry">You have destroyed your own people!<n id="1" />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">Even though they have hired lovers among the nations,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will soon gather them together for judgment.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Then<n id="3" /> they will begin to waste awayp> <p class="poetry">under the oppression of a mighty king.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">You have destroyed<n id="1" /> my peoplep> <p class="poetry">by failing to acknowledge me!p> <p class="poetry">Because you refuse to acknowledge me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will reject you as my priests.p> <p class="poetry">Because you reject<n id="3" /> the law of your God,p> <p class="poetry">I will reject<n id="4" /> your descendants.p>

<p class="poetry">Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but he does not recognize it!p> <p class="poetry">His head is filled with gray hair,p> <p class="poetry">but he does not realize it!p>

<p class="poetry">Even if they raise their children,p> <p class="poetry">I will take away every last one of them.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Woe to them!p> <p class="poetry">For I will turn away from them.p>

<p class="poetry">Ephraim will be struck down<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">their root will be dried up;p> <p class="poetry">they will not yield any fruit.p> <p class="poetry">Even if they do bear children,p> <p class="poetry">I will kill their precious offspring.p>

<p class="poetry">Even the calf idol<n id="1" /> will be carried to Assyria,p> <p class="poetry">as tribute for the great king.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Ephraim will be disgraced;p> <p class="poetry">Israel will be put to shame because<n id="3" /> of its wooden idol.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Is there idolatry<n id="1" /> in Gilead?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Certainly its inhabitants<n id="3" /> will come to nothing!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?p> <p class="poetry">Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed field!p>