The Hebrew Prophets

And Jacob doth flee to the country of Aram, And Israel doth serve for a wife, Yea, for a wife he hath kept watch.

And by a prophet hath Jehovah brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet it hath been watched.

Ephraim hath provoked most bitterly, And his blood on himself he leaveth, And his reproach turn back to him doth his Lord!

When Ephraim speaketh tremblingly, He hath been lifted up in Israel, When he becometh guilty in Baal he dieth.

And now do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding--idols, A work of artisans--all of it, Of them they say, who are sacrificers among men, `The calves let them kiss.'

Therefore they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.

And I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, And a God besides Me thou dost not know, And a Saviour--there is none save Me.

I--I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.

According to their feedings they are satiated, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,

And I am to them as a lion, As a leopard by the way I look out.

I do meet them as a bereaved bear, And I rend the enclosure of their heart.

And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field doth rend them.

Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel, But in Me is thy help, Where is thy king now--And he doth save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou didst say, `Give to me a king and heads?'

I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.

Bound up is the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden is his sin,

Pangs of a travailing woman come to him, He is a son not wise, For he remaineth not the time for the breaking forth of sons.

From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I redeem them, Where is thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction, O Sheol? Repentance is hid from Mine eyes.

Though he among brethren produceth fruit, Come in doth an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it drieth up his fountain, And become dry doth his spring, It--it spoileth a treasure--every desirable vessel.

Become desolate doth Samaria, Because she hath rebelled against her God, By sword they do fall, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!

Turn back, O Israel, unto Jehovah thy God, For thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.

Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah, Say ye unto Him: `Take away all iniquity, and give good, And we do render the fruit of our lips.

Asshur doth not save us, on a horse we ride not, Nor do we say any more, Our God, to the work of our hands, For in Thee find mercy doth the fatherless.'

I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him.

I am as dew to Israel, he flourisheth as a lily, And he striketh forth his roots as Lebanon.

Go on do his sucklings, And his beauty is as an olive, And he hath fragrance as Lebanon.