Infidelity despite divine goodness

¹When Ephraim spoke, there was excitement;

²And now they keep on sinning;

they have made metal images,

“Sacrifice to these,” they say.

³Therefore, they will be like the morning mist,

⁴Yet I have been the LORD your God

and you will know no other gods but me;

⁵I knew you in the wilderness,

⁶When I fed them, they were satisfied;

Consequences of infidelity

⁷So I will become like a lion to them;

⁸I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs,

I will devour them like a lion,

⁹I will destroy you, Israel;

¹⁰Where is your king now,

Where in all your cities are your judges,

¹¹I gave you a king in my anger,

¹²Ephraim’s wickedness is bound up;

¹³The pangs of a woman in childbirth come for him,

for at the proper time he doesn’t present himself

¹⁴Will I ransom them from the power of the grave[#13.14 Heb Sheol]

Death, where are your diseases?

¹⁵Although he may flourish among rushes,

the breath of God

and his spring will dry up;

It will strip his household

¹⁶Samaria will be desolate,[#13.16 14:1 in Heb]

by the sword they will fall—

and their pregnant women ripped open.