1 “Whenever I want to heal my people Israel and make them prosperous again, all I can see is their wickedness and the evil they do. They cheat one another; they break into houses and steal; they rob people in the streets. 2 It never enters their heads that I will remember all this evil; but their sins surround them, and I cannot avoid seeing them.”
Conspiracy in the Palace
3 The Lord says, “People deceive the king and his officers by their evil plots. 4 They are all treacherous and disloyal. Their hatred smolders like the fire in an oven, which is not stirred by the baker until the dough is ready to bake. 5 On the day of the king's celebration they made the king and his officials drunk and foolish with wine. 6 Yes, they burned like an oven with their plotting. All night their anger smoldered, and in the morning it burst into flames.
7 “In the heat of their anger they murdered their rulers. Their kings have been assassinated one after another, but no one prays to me for help.”
Israel and the Nations
8 The Lord says, “The people of Israel are like a half-baked loaf of bread. They rely on the nations around them 9 and do not realize that this reliance on foreigners has robbed them of their strength. Their days are numbered, but they don't even know it. 10 The arrogance of the people of Israel cries out against them. In spite of everything that has happened, they have not returned to me, the Lord their God. 11 Israel flits around like a silly pigeon; first her people call on Egypt for help, and then they run to Assyria! 12 But I will spread out a net and catch them like birds as they go by. I will punish them for the evil they have done.
13 “They are doomed! They have left me and rebelled against me. They will be destroyed. I wanted to save them, but their worship of me was false. 14 They have not prayed to me sincerely, but instead they throw themselves down and wail as the heathen do. When they pray for grain and wine, they gash themselves like pagans. What rebels they are! 15 Even though I was the one who brought them up and made them strong, they plotted against me. 16 They keep on turning away from me to a god that is powerless. They are as unreliable as a crooked bow. Because their leaders talk arrogantly, they will die a violent death, and the Egyptians will laugh.”
Efraima noziedzība
1 Līdzko dziedinu Israēlu,
tā atklājas Efraima vaina un Samarijas ļaunums,
jo tie tik melo –
nāk zaglis, ielās izģērbj sirotāji!
2 Pat sirdī tie neatzīst,
ka es atceros visu viņu ļaunumu!
Nu viņu darbi tos ielenkuši –
tie manā priekšā!
3 Ar savu ļaunumu tie priecē ķēniņu
un ar meliem augstmaņus!
4 Visi viņi laulības pārkāpēji,
tie kvēlo kā krāsns,
ko maiznieks vairs nebiksta,
kopš iejāvis mīklu, līdz uzrūgst!
5 Mūsu ķēniņa diena!
Augstmaņi sasirguši, karsti no vīna,
sniedz savu roku ņirgām!
6 Tie uzkur viltu sirdī kā krāsni –
visu nakti guļ viņu cepējs,
gan rītā tas dedzinās ar uguns liesmu!
7 Visi tie kvēlo kā krāsns,
savus soģus tie aprij,
visi viņu ķēniņi kritīs –
neviens no tiem nesauc uz mani!
8 Efraims sajaucies ar tautām –
Efraims kā neapgrozīts plācenis!
9 Sveši rij viņa spēku,
bet viņš nezina,
sirmi mati jau metušies,
bet viņš nezina!
10 Israēla lepnība
liecina pret viņu pašu,
bet viņi neatgriežas pie Kunga, sava Dieva,
tie nemeklē viņu!
Veltā paļāvība uz citām tautām
11 Efraims bija kā balodis,
bezprāta vientiesis –
sauca Ēģipti, gāja uz Asīriju!
12 Tādēļ, ka viņi tur gāja,
es izpletīšu pār tiem savu tīklu,
kā debesu putnus noraušu lejā,
pārmācīšu viņus par to,
ko viņu sapulcēs esmu dzirdējis!
13 Vai! tiem –
jo tie mūk no manis,
posts tiem –
jo tie noziegušies pret mani!
Es izpirku viņus,
bet tie man runāja melus!
14 Sirdī tie nebrēca uz mani,
bet gaudoja savās cisās,
pie klaipa un jaunvīna brāļojās,
novērsušies no manis!
15 Es tos mācīju,
stiprināju tiem rokas,
bet tie man atdarīja ar ļaunu!
16 Ne augšup tie vēršas,
tie ir kā vaļīgs loks,
to augstmaņi no zobena kritīs
savas negantās mēles dēļ –
tas par viņu muldēšanu Ēģiptes zemē!
