Israel’s Sin

1a “Ephraim feeds on the wind,

chasing after the eastern winds,

storing up lies and desolation day after day.

They are making a contract with the Assyrians,

and sending oil to Egypt.

2The LORD accuses Judah,

and will punish Jacob according to his ways;

he will repay him for what he does.

3He circumvented his brotherb in the womb,

and as an adult he fought with God.

4He even fought the angel and won;

he cried and prayed to him.

Then at Bethel he found him,

and there he spoke with us—

5the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies—

the LORD is his name.c

6So you, return to your God;

guard grace and justice,

and look to your God always.

7“Now as for the merchant,d

deceitful balances remain in his hand,

and he loves to defraud.

8Ephraim claims,

‘I have become rich,

I have made a fortune!

Because of all my wealth,

no one will find any iniquity or sin in me.’

9“Yet I remain the LORD your God,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

I will make you live in tents again,

as in the festival of that name.e

10I spoke to the prophets,

giving revelation after revelation,

and employing parables in the prophetic writings.f

11“There’s iniquity in Gilead, isn’t there?

They have become truly vain.

They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;

their altars are like piles of stone in furrowed fields.

12Jacob fled into the land of Aram;g

Israel served there to obtain his wife,

tending sheep to gainh his wife.

13“By a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt,

and by a prophet hei was rescued.

14Ephraim has stirred up violent anger;

therefore the guilt of his blood will remain on him,

and his Lord will repay him for his contempt.”