1. Israel, don't be joyful. Don't be glad as the other nations are. You haven't been faithful to your God. You love to get paid for being a prostitute. Your pay is the grain at every threshing floor.
2. But soon there won't be any grain or wine to feed you. There won't even be any fresh wine.
3. You won't remain in the Lord's land. Ephraim, you will return to Egypt. You will eat "unclean" food in Assyria.
4. You won't pour out wine offerings to the Lord. Your sacrifices won't please him. They'll be like the bread people eat when someone dies. Everyone who eats those sacrifices will be "unclean." They themselves will have to eat that kind of food. They can't bring it into the Lord's temple.
5. What will you do when your appointed feasts come? What will you do on the Lord's special days?
6. Some of you will escape without being destroyed. But you will die in Egypt. Your bodies will be buried at Memphis. Weeds will cover your treasures of silver. Thorns will grow up in your tents.
7. The time when God will punish you is coming. The day when he will judge you is near. I want you to know that. You have committed many sins. And you hate me very much. That's why you think I'm foolish. You think I'm crazy. But the Lord speaks through me.
8. People of Ephraim, I'm a true prophet. My God is warning you through me. But you set traps for me everywhere I go. You hate me so much you even wait for me in God's house.
9. You have sunk very deep into sin, just as our people did at Gibeah long ago. God will remember the evil things you have done. He will punish you for your sins.
10. The Lord says, "When I first found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your people long ago, it was like seeing the early fruit on a fig tree. But then they went to Baal Peor. There they gave themselves to that shameful god Baal. They became as evil as the god they loved.
11. Ephraim's greatness and glory will be gone. It will fly away like a bird. Women will no longer have children. They will not be able to get pregnant.
12. But suppose they do have children. Then I will kill every one of them. How terrible it will be for them when I turn away from them!"
13. Tyre is planted in a pleasant place. And so is Ephraim. But the Assyrians will kill Ephraim's children.
14. Lord, what should you do to Ephraim's people? Give them women whose babies die before they are born. Give them women whose breasts don't have any milk.
15. The Lord says, "My people did many evil things in Gilgal. That is why I hated them there. They committed many sins. So I will drive them out of my land. I will not love them anymore. All of their leaders refuse to obey me.
16. Ephraim is like a worthless plant. Its roots are dried up. It does not produce any fruit. Suppose Ephraim's people have children. Then I will kill the children they love so much."