1 כְּרָפְאִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִגְלָה עֲוֹן אֶפְרַיִם וְרָעֹות שֹׁמְרֹון כִּי פָעֲלוּ שָׁקֶר וְגַנָּב יָבֹוא פָּשַׁט גְּדוּד בַּחוּץ | 1 Whenever I would heal Israel, I am confronted by the guilt of Ephraim and the evil-doings of Samaria;for deceit is their principle of behaviour; the thief breaks into the house, marauders raid in the open; |
2 וּבַל־יֹאמְרוּ לִלְבָבָם כָּל־רָעָתָם זָכָרְתִּי עַתָּה סְבָבוּם מַעַלְלֵיהֶם נֶגֶד פָּנַי הָיוּ | 2 and they never pause to consider that I remember al their wicked deeds; and now their own deeds hemthem in and stare me in the face. |
3 בְּרָעָתָם יְשַׂמְּחוּ־מֶלֶךְ וּבְכַחֲשֵׁיהֶם שָׂרִים | 3 They amuse the king with their wickedness and the chief men with their lies. |
4 כֻּלָּם מְנָאֲפִים כְּמֹו תַנּוּר בֹּעֵרָה מֵאֹפֶה יִשְׁבֹּות מֵעִיר מִלּוּשׁ בָּצֵק עַד־חֻמְצָתֹו | 4 They are al adulterers, hot as an oven which the baker need not stoke from the time he has kneadedthe dough until it rises. |
5 יֹום מַלְכֵּנוּ הֶחֱלוּ שָׂרִים חֲמַת מִיָּיִן מָשַׁךְ יָדֹו אֶת־לֹצְצִים | 5 At the holiday for our king, the ministers become inflamed with wine, while he accepts the homage ofpeople |
6 כִּי־קֵרְבוּ כַתַּנּוּר לִבָּם בְּאָרְבָּם כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה יָשֵׁן אֹפֵהֶם בֹּקֶר הוּא בֹעֵר כְּאֵשׁ לֶהָבָה | 6 who laugh at him. Their hearts are like an oven as they plot, all night their passion slumbers, then in themorning it bursts into flame; |
7 כֻּלָּם יֵחַמּוּ כַּתַּנּוּר וְאָכְלוּ אֶת־שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם נָפָלוּ אֵין־קֹרֵא בָהֶם אֵלָי | 7 yes, al of them as hot as ovens, they consume their rulers. All their kings have fal en thus, not one ofthem has ever cal ed on me. |
8 אֶפְרַיִם בָּעַמִּים הוּא יִתְבֹּולָל אֶפְרַיִם הָיָה עֻגָה בְּלִי הֲפוּכָה | 8 Ephraim mixes with the nations. Ephraim is a half-baked cake. |
9 אָכְלוּ זָרִים כֹּחֹו וְהוּא לֹא יָדָע גַּם־שֵׂיבָה זָרְקָה בֹּו וְהוּא לֹא יָדָע | 9 Foreigners have eaten his strength away but he is unconscious of it; even his hair is turning grey but heis unconscious of it. |
10 וְעָנָה גְאֹון־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָנָיו וְלֹא־שָׁבוּ אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא בִקְשֻׁהוּ בְּכָל־זֹאת | 10 (Israel's arrogance is his own accuser; but they do not come back to Yahweh their God or seek him,despite al this.) |
11 וַיְהִי אֶפְרַיִם כְּיֹונָה פֹותָה אֵין לֵב מִצְרַיִם קָרָאוּ אַשּׁוּר הָלָכוּ | 11 Ephraim is like a silly, witless pigeon cal ing on Egypt, turning to Assyria. |
12 כַּאֲשֶׁר יֵלֵכוּ אֶפְרֹושׂ עֲלֵיהֶם רִשְׁתִּי כְּעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם אֹורִידֵם אַיְסִרֵם כְּשֵׁמַע לַעֲדָתָם׃ ס | 12 Wherever they turn, I shal spread my net over them, I shal bring them down like the birds of the sky, Ishall punish them for their perversity. |
13 אֹוי לָהֶם כִּי־נָדְדוּ מִמֶּנִּי שֹׁד לָהֶם כִּי־פָשְׁעוּ בִי וְאָנֹכִי אֶפְדֵּם וְהֵמָּה דִּבְּרוּ עָלַי כְּזָבִים | 13 Woe to them for having fled from me! Ruin seize them for having wronged me! I have rescued themagain and again and they have only told lies about me. |
14 וְלֹא־זָעֲקוּ אֵלַי בְּלִבָּם כִּי יְיֵלִילוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבֹותָם עַל־דָּגָן וְתִירֹושׁ יִתְגֹּורָרוּ יָסוּרוּ בִי | 14 Theirs is no heartfelt cry to me when they lament on their beds; when they gash themselves over thegrain and new wine, they are stil rebelling against me. |
15 וַאֲנִי יִסַּרְתִּי חִזַּקְתִּי זְרֹועֹתָם וְאֵלַי יְחַשְּׁבוּ־רָע | 15 Though I supported and gave strength to their arms, they plan how to hurt me. |
16 יָשׁוּבוּ ׀ לֹא עָל הָיוּ כְּקֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה יִפְּלוּ בַחֶרֶב שָׂרֵיהֶם מִזַּעַם לְשֹׁונָם זֹו לַעְגָּם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם | 16 They turn to what does not exist, they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders wil fal by the swordbecause of their arrogant talk; how they wil be laughed at in Egypt! |