8. The sovereign master decreed judgment on Jacob,and it fell on Israel.
9. All the people were aware of it,the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria.Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said,
10. “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with chiseled stone;the sycamore fig trees have been cut down,but we will replace them with cedars.”
11. Then the Lord provoked their adversaries to attack them, he stirred up their enemies –
12. Syria from the east,and the Philistines from the west,they gobbled up Israelite territory.Despite all this, his anger does not subside,and his hand is ready to strike again.
13. The people did not return to the one who struck them,they did not seek reconciliation with the Lord who commands armies.
14. So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,both the shoots and stalk in one day.
15. The leaders and the highly respected people are the head,the prophets who teach lies are the tail.