1 Efraims no visām pusēm Mani ielenc ar meliem un Israēla nams ar viltu. Bet arī Jūda neturas stingri pie Dieva - svētā un uzticīgā. 2 Efraims lokās katrai spēcīgākai vēsmai līdzi un skrien pakaļ austrumu vējam. Katru dienu viņš vairo postu; ar Asuru viņi slēdz derību, un eļļu viņi izved uz Ēģipti. 3 Bet ar Jūdu Tas Kungs ies tiesā un piemeklēs Jēkabu saskaņā ar viņa ceļiem, un atmaksās viņam pēc viņa darbiem. 4 Jau mātes miesās viņš satvēra brāli aiz viņa papēža un savā vīra spēka pilnībā viņš cīnījās ar Dievu. 5 Viņš cīnījās ar eņģeli un to uzvarēja, jo viņš raudāja un lūdzās žēlastību. Bētelē viņu tad sastapa Dievs un ar Viņu turpat runāja, 6 Dievs Tas Kungs, debesu karapulku Dievs, Kungs Cebaots ir Viņa vārds. 7 "Tādēļ atgriezies pie sava Dieva, glabā savu žēlsirdību un taisnību, cerē un paļaujies vienmēr uz savu Dievu!" 8 Bet Kānaānam ir rokā nepareizi svari, un viņš labprāt mīl krāpt. 9 Un Efraims saka: "Es esmu bagāts, esmu sev ieguvis pietiekami daudz mantu; visā manā darbā nav nekāda pārkāpuma, ko varētu saukt par grēku!" 10 Bet Es, Tas Kungs, Es esmu tavs Dievs kopš Ēģiptes laikiem un likšu tev atkal dzīvot teltīs, kā tas parasts svētku laikā, 11 un Es runāju uz praviešiem, Es dodu tik daudz atklāsmju, un Es izpaužos ar praviešu muti runātajās līdzībās. 12 Gileādā valda elku kalpība, tādēļ viņi arī iznīks; Gilgalā viņi ziedo vēršus, bet tādēļ arī viņu ziedokļi kļūs kā akmeņu kaudzes tīrumu vagu galā! 13 Jēkabam bija jābēg uz Sīriju, Israēlam bija jāpaliek par kalpu sievas dēļ, un otras sievas dēļ viņš ganīja lopus. 14 Bet pēc tam Tas Kungs lika pravietim izvest Israēlu no Ēģiptes un lika pravietim viņu pasargāt. 15 Bet tagad Efraims Viņu stipri sarūgtina ar saviem elkiem; tāpēc viņu asinis nāks pār viņiem, un Tas Kungs viņiem atmaksās par to pazemojumu, ko viņi Viņam nodara!
1 Everything that the people of Israel do from morning to night is useless and destructive. Treachery and acts of violence increase among them. They make treaties with Assyria and do business with Egypt.”
2 The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people of Judah; he is also going to punish Israel for the way her people act. He will pay them back for what they have done. 3 Their ancestor Jacob struggled with his twin brother Esau while the two of them were still in their mother's womb; when Jacob grew up, he fought against God— 4 he fought against an angel and won. He wept and asked for a blessing. And at Bethel God came to our ancestor Jacob and spoke with him. 5 This was the Lord God Almighty—the Lord is the name by which he is to be worshiped. 6 So now, descendants of Jacob, trust in your God and return to him. Be loyal and just, and wait patiently for your God to act.
Further Words of Judgment
7 The Lord says, “The people of Israel are as dishonest as the Canaanites; they love to cheat their customers with false scales. 8 ‘We are rich,’ they say. ‘We've made a fortune. And no one can accuse us of getting rich dishonestly.’ 9 But I, the Lord your God who led you out of Egypt, I will make you live in tents again, as you did when I came to you in the desert.
10 “I spoke to the prophets and gave them many visions, and through the prophets I gave my people warnings. 11 Yet idols are worshiped in Gilead, and those who worship them will die. Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal, and the altars there will become piles of stone in the open fields.”
12 Our ancestor Jacob had to flee to Mesopotamia, where, in order to get a wife, he worked for another man and took care of his sheep. 13 The Lord sent a prophet to rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and to take care of them. 14 The people of Israel have made the Lord bitterly angry; they deserve death for their crimes. Their Lord will punish them for the disgrace they have brought on him.
