[1] “I will heal Israel! Then people will know that Ephraim sinned. People will know about Samaria’s lies. People will know about the thieves that come and go in that town.
[2] Those people don’t believe that I will remember their crimes. The bad things they did are all around. I can see their sins clearly.
[3] Their evil makes their king happy. Their false gods please their leaders.
[4] A baker presses dough ˻to make bread˼. ˻He puts the bread in the oven.˼ The baker does not make the fire hotter while the bread is rising. ˻But the people of Israel are not like that.˼ The people of Israel are always making their fire hotter.
[5] On Our King’s Day, ˻they make the fire hotter˼ ˻they give their drinking parties.˼ The leaders become sick from the heat of wine. So the kings join hands with people that laugh at God.
[6] The people make their secret plans. Their hearts burn with excitement like an oven. Their excitement burns all night. And in the morning it is like a hot fire.
[7] They are all like hot ovens. They destroyed their rulers. All of their kings fell. Not one of them called to me for help.”
[8] “Ephraim mixes with the nations. Ephraim is like a cake that was not cooked on both sides.
[9] Strangers destroy Ephraim’s strength. But Ephraim does not know it. Gray hairs are also sprinkled on Ephraim. But Ephraim does not know it.
[10] ˻Ephraim’s˼ pride speaks against him. The people had many, many troubles, but they still didn’t go back to the Lord their God. The people didn’t look to him for help.
[11] So Ephraim has become like a silly dove without understanding. The people called to Egypt for help. The people went to Assyria for help.
[12] They go to those countries for help, but I will trap them. I will throw my net over them, and I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will punish them for their agreements.
[13] It will be bad for them. They left me. They refused to obey me. So they will be destroyed. I saved those people. But they speak lies against me.
[14] They never call to me from their hearts. Yes, they cry on their beds. And they cut themselves when they ask for grain and new wine. But ˻in their hearts,˼ they have turned away from me.
[15] I trained them and made their arms strong. But they made evil plans against me.
[16] But they were like a boomerang. They changed directions, but they did not come back to me. Their leaders bragged ˻about their strength˼. But they will be killed with swords. And the people in Egypt will laugh at them.