| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1“Sound the alarm! The enemy descends like an eagle on the people of the LORD, for they have broken my covenant and revolted against my law. | 1Sound the alarm! An eagle looms over the temple of the LORD! For they have broken their covenant with me, and have rebelled against my law. |
| 2Now Israel pleads with me, ‘Help us, for you are our God!’ | 2Israel cries out to me, "My God, we acknowledge you!" |
| 3But it is too late. The people of Israel have rejected what is good, and now their enemies will chase after them. | 3But Israel has rejected what is morally good; so an enemy will pursue him. |
| 4The people have appointed kings without my consent, and princes without my approval. By making idols for themselves from their silver and gold, they have brought about their own destruction. | 4They enthroned kings without my consent! They appointed princes without my approval! They made idols out of their silver and gold, but they will be destroyed! |
| 5“O Samaria, I reject this calf— this idol you have made. My fury burns against you. How long will you be incapable of innocence? | 5O Samaria, he has rejected your calf idol! My anger burns against them! They will not survive much longer without being punished, even though they are Israelites! |
| 6This calf you worship, O Israel, was crafted by your own hands! It is not God! Therefore, it must be smashed to bits. | 6That idol was made by a workman--it is not God! The calf idol of Samaria will be broken to bits. |
| 7“They have planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind. The stalks of grain wither and produce nothing to eat. And even if there is any grain, foreigners will eat it. | 7They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind! The stalk does not have any standing grain; it will not produce any flour. Even if it were to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it all up. |
| 8The people of Israel have been swallowed up; they lie among the nations like an old discarded pot. | 8Israel will be swallowed up among the nations; they will be like a worthless piece of pottery. |
| 9Like a wild donkey looking for a mate, they have gone up to Assyria. The people of Israel have sold themselves— sold themselves to many lovers. | 9They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers. |
| 10But though they have sold themselves to many allies, I will now gather them together for judgment. Then they will writhe under the burden of the great king. | 10Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, I will soon gather them together for judgment. Then they will begin to waste away under the oppression of a mighty king. |
| 11“Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning! | 11Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning! |
| 12Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them. | 12I spelled out my law for him in great detail, but they regard it as something totally unknown to them! |
| 13The people love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. They will return to Egypt. | 13They offer up sacrificial gifts to me, and eat the meat, but the LORD does not accept their sacrifices. Soon he will remember their wrongdoing, he will punish their sins, and they will return to Egypt. |
| 14Israel has forgotten its Maker and built great palaces, and Judah has fortified its cities. Therefore, I will send down fire on their cities and will burn up their fortresses.” | 14Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces, and Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will send fire on their cities; it will consume their royal citadels. |
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