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1When your leaders spoke,[#13.1 The Hebrew text has “Ephraim,” here meaning Mount Ephraim, where the royal palace of Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel) was located.]
everyone in Israel trembled
and showed great respect.
But you sinned by worshiping Baal,
and you were destroyed.
2Now you continue to sin
by designing and making
idols of silver
in the shape of calves.
You are told to sacrifice
to these idols—
yes, even to kiss them.
3And so, all of you will vanish
like the mist or the dew
of early morning,
or husks of grain in the wind
or smoke from a chimney.
4I, the Lord , have been your God
since the time
you were in Egypt.
I am the only God you know,
the only one who can save.
5I took care of you[#Dt 8.11-17.]
in a thirsty desert.
6I fed you till you were satisfied,
then you became proud
and forgot about me.
7Now I will attack like a lion,
ambush you like a leopard,
8and rip you apart like a bear
robbed of her cubs.
I will gnaw on your bones,
as though I were a lion
or some other wild animal.
9Israel, you are done for.
Don't expect help from me.
10You wanted a king and rulers.[#1 S 8.5,6.]
Where is your king now?
What cities have rulers?
11In my anger, I gave you a king;[#1 S 10.17-24; 1 S 15.26.]
in my fury, I took him away.
12Israel, your terrible sins
are written down
and stored away.
13You are like a senseless child
who refuses to be born
at the proper time.
14Should I, the Lord , rescue you[#1 Co 15.55.]
from death and the grave?
No! I call death and the grave
to strike you like a plague.
I refuse to show mercy.
15No matter if you prosper
more than the other tribes,
I, the Lord , will wipe you out,
just as a scorching desert wind
dries up streams of water.
I will take away
your precious treasures.
16Samaria will be punished[#13.16 The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.]
for turning against me.
It will be destroyed in war—
children will be beaten
against rocks,
and pregnant women
will be ripped open.