Ephraim’s Iniquity

1  כְּרָפְאִ֣י (In My healing) לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (of Israel),

וְנִגְלָ֞ה (is uncovered), עֲוֺ֤ן (the iniquity) אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ (of Ephraim)

וְרָע֣וֹת (and the wickedness) שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן (of Samaria),

כִּ֥י (for) פָעֲל֖וּ (they practice) שָׁ֑קֶר (deceit); וְגַנָּ֣ב (and a thief) יָב֔וֹא (comes in),

פָּשַׁ֥ט (raid) גְּד֖וּד (bandits) בַּחֽוּץ׃ (in the street).

2  וּבַל־ (And not) יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ (do they tell) לִלְבָבָ֔ם (their hearts)

כָּל־ (that all) רָעָתָ֖ם (their evil); זָכָ֑רְתִּי (I remember)

עַתָּה֙ (now) סְבָב֣וּם (have surrounded them); מַֽעַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם (their deeds)

נֶ֥גֶד (before) פָּנַ֖י (My face) הָיֽוּ׃ (they are).

3  בְּרָעָתָ֖ם (With their evil), יְשַׂמְּחוּ־ (they make glad) מֶ֑לֶךְ (the king)

וּבְכַחֲשֵׁיהֶ֖ם (and with their lies) שָׂרִֽים׃ (princes).

4  כֻּלָּם֙ (They all) מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים (are adulterers),

כְּמ֣וֹ (like) תַנּ֔וּר (an oven) בֹּעֵ֖רָה (heated) מֵֽאֹפֶ֑ה (by a baker),

יִשְׁבּ֣וֹת (who ceases) מֵעִ֔יר (stirring the fire)

מִלּ֥וּשׁ (after kneading) בָּצֵ֖ק (the dough), עַד־ (until) חֻמְצָתֽוֹ׃ (it is leavened).

5  י֣וֹם (On the day) מַלְכֵּ֔נוּ (of our king) הֶחֱל֥וּ (became sick) שָׂרִ֖ים (the princes)

חֲמַ֣ת (raging) מִיָּ֑יִן (from the wine);

מָשַׁ֥ךְ (he stretched out) יָד֖וֹ (his hand)

אֶת־ (with) לֹצְצִֽים׃ (the mockers).

6  כִּֽי־ (For) קֵרְב֧וּ (they approach)

כַתַּנּ֛וּר (like an oven), לִבָּ֖ם (is their heart) בְּאָרְבָּ֑ם (in ambush);

כָּל־ (all) הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ (night); יָשֵׁ֣ן (is sleeping) אֹֽפֵהֶ֔ם (their baker)

בֹּ֕קֶר (in the morning) ה֥וּא (it) בֹעֵ֖ר (burns) כְּאֵ֥שׁ (like a fire) לֶהָבָֽה׃ (of flame).

7  כֻּלָּ֤ם (All of them) יֵחַ֙מּוּ֙ (are hot) כַּתַּנּ֔וּר (like an oven),

וְאָכְל֖וּ (and they devour) אֶת־ (-) שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶ֑ם (their judges);

כָּל־ (all) מַלְכֵיהֶ֣ם (their kings) נָפָ֔לוּ (have fallen).

אֵין־ (No one) קֹרֵ֥א (calls) בָהֶ֖ם (among them) אֵלָֽי׃ (to Me).

8  אֶפְרַ֕יִם (Ephraim), בָּעַמִּ֖ים (with the nations); ה֣וּא (he) יִתְבּוֹלָ֑ל (has mixed himself)

אֶפְרַ֛יִם (Ephraim) הָיָ֥ה (is) עֻגָ֖ה (a cake) בְּלִ֥י (not) הֲפוּכָֽה׃ (turned).

9  אָכְל֤וּ (Have devoured) זָרִים֙ (strangers) כֹּח֔וֹ (his power),

וְה֖וּא (and he) לֹ֣א (not); יָדָ֑ע (does know it)

גַּם־ (even), שֵׂיבָה֙ (gray hairs) זָ֣רְקָה (are scattered) בּ֔וֹ (on him)

וְה֖וּא (and he) לֹ֥א (not) יָדָֽע׃ (does know it).

10  וְעָנָ֥ה (And testifies) גְאֽוֹן־ (the pride) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (of Israel) בְּפָנָ֑יו (to his face);

וְלֹֽא־ (not) שָׁ֙בוּ֙ (do they return) אֶל־ (to) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם (their God),

וְלֹ֥א (and not) בִקְשֻׁ֖הוּ (do they seek Him) בְּכָל־ (in all) זֹֽאת׃ (this).

11  וַיְהִ֣י (And is) אֶפְרַ֔יִם (Ephraim) כְּיוֹנָ֥ה (like a dove) פוֹתָ֖ה (silly) אֵ֣ין (without) לֵ֑ב (sense);

מִצְרַ֥יִם (to Egypt), קָרָ֖אוּ (they call) אַשּׁ֥וּר (to Assyria) הָלָֽכוּ׃ (they go).

12  כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (When) יֵלֵ֗כוּ (they go), אֶפְר֤וֹשׂ (I will spread) עֲלֵיהֶם֙ (over them) רִשְׁתִּ֔י (My net)

כְּע֥וֹף (like birds) הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם (of the heavens); אֽוֹרִידֵ֑ם (I will bring them down)

אַיְסִרֵ֕ם (I will chastise them)

כְּשֵׁ֖מַע (according to the report) לַעֲדָתָֽם׃ס (of their congregation).

13  א֤וֹי (Woe) לָהֶם֙ (to them) כִּֽי־ (for) נָדְד֣וּ (they have fled) מִמֶּ֔נִּי (from Me)

שֹׁ֥ד (Destruction be) לָהֶ֖ם (to them) כִּֽי־ (because) פָ֣שְׁעוּ (they have transgressed) בִ֑י (against Me)

וְאָנֹכִ֣י (and though I) אֶפְדֵּ֔ם (would redeem them)

וְהֵ֕מָּה (and they) דִּבְּר֥וּ (have spoken) עָלַ֖י (against Me) כְּזָבִֽים׃ (lies).

14  וְלֹֽא־ (And not) זָעֲק֤וּ (they did cry out) אֵלַי֙ (to Me) בְּלִבָּ֔ם (with their heart),

כִּ֥י (when) יְיֵלִ֖ילוּ (they wailed) עַל־ (upon) מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם (their beds);

עַל־ (for) דָּגָ֧ן (grain) וְתִיר֛וֹשׁ (and new wine), יִתְגּוֹרָ֖רוּ (they gather together)

יָס֥וּרוּ (they rebel) בִֽי׃ (against Me).

15  וַאֲנִ֣י (And I) יִסַּ֔רְתִּי (disciplined) חִזַּ֖קְתִּי (I strengthened) זְרֽוֹעֹתָ֑ם (their arms),

וְאֵלַ֖י (and against Me) יְחַשְּׁבוּ־ (they devise) רָֽע׃ (evil).

16  יָשׁ֣וּבוּ׀ (They return), לֹ֣א (not) עָ֗ל (to the Most High),

הָיוּ֙ (they are) כְּקֶ֣שֶׁת (like a bow); רְמִיָּ֔ה (of slackness)

יִפְּל֥וּ (will fall) בַחֶ֛רֶב (by the sword) שָׂרֵיהֶ֖ם (their princes)

מִזַּ֣עַם (from the insolence) לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם (of their tongue).

ז֥וֹ (This is) לַעְגָּ֖ם (their derision)

בְּאֶ֥רֶץ (in the land) מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (of Egypt).