The Hebrew Prophets

And Ephraim is become as a dove that is decoyed, not having a heart: they called upon Egypt, they went to the Assyrians.

And when they shall go, I will spread my net upon them: I will bring them down as the fowl of the air, I will strike them as their congregation hath heard.

Woe to them, for they have departed from me: they shall be wasted because they have transgressed against me: and I redeemed them: and they have spoken lies against me.

And they have not cried to me with their heart, but they howled in their beds: they have thought upon wheat and wine, they are departed from me.

And I have chastised them, and strengthened their arms: and they have imagined evil against me.

They returned, that they might be without yoke: they became like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue. This is their derision in the land of Egypt.

Let there be a trumpet in thy throat like an eagle upon the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and have violated my law.

They shall call upon me: O my God, we, Israel, know thee.

Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, the enemy shall pursue him.

They have reigned, but not by me: they have been princes, and I knew not: of their silver and their gold they have made idols to themselves, that they might perish.

Thy calf, O Samaria, is cast off, my wrath is kindled against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed?

For itself also is the invention of Israel: a workman made it, and it is no god: for the calf of Samaria shall be turned to spiders' webs.

For they shall sow wind, and reap a whirlwind, there is no standing stalk in it, the bud shall yield no meal; and if it should yield, strangers shall eat it.

Israel is swallowed up: now is he become among the nations like an unclean vessel.

For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath given gifts to his lovers.

But even though they shall have hired the nations, now will I gather them together: and they shall rest a while from the burden of the king, and the princes.

Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin: altars are become to him unto sin.

I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign.

They shall offer victims, they shall sacrifice flesh, and shall eat it, and the Lord will not receive them: now will he remember their iniquity, and will visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

And Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and hath built temples: and Juda hath built many fenced cities: and I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the houses thereof.

Rejoice not, O Israel: rejoice not as the nations do: for thou hast committed fornication against thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.

The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the wine shall deceive them.

They shall not dwell in the Lord's land: Ephraim is returned to Egypt, and hath eaten unclean things among the Assyrians.

They shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall they please him: their sacrifices shall be like the bread of mourners: all that shall eat it shall be defiled: for their bread is life for their soul, it shall not enter into the house of the Lord.

What will you do in the solemn day, in the day of the feast of the Lord?