¹² For though they nourish their sons, I have made them childless -- without man, Surely also, wo to them, when I turn aside from them.

¹³ Wo to them, for they wandered from Me, Destruction to them, for they transgressed against Me, And I -- I ransom them, and they have spoken lies against Me,

¹⁷ and Mine anger hath burned against it in that day, and I have forsaken them, and hidden My face from them, and it hath been for consumption, and many evils and distresses have found it, and it hath said in that day, Is it not because that my God is not in my midst -- these evils have found me?

¹⁶ Ephraim hath been smitten, Their root hath dried up, fruit they yield not, Yea, though they bring forth, I have put to death the desired of their womb.

¹⁵ And Samuel saith unto Saul, `Why hast thou troubled me, to bring me up?' And Saul saith, `I have great distress, and the Philistines are fighting against me, God hath turned aside from me, and hath not answered me any more, either by the hand of the prophets, or by dreams; and I call for thee to let me know what I do.'

¹⁶ And Samuel saith, `And why dost thou ask me, and Jehovah hath turned aside from thee, and is thine enemy?

²⁵ Without bereave doth the sword, And at the inner-chambers -- fear, Both youth and virgin, Suckling with man of grey hair.

¹³ Ephraim! when I have looked to the rock, Is planted in comeliness, And Ephraim `is' to bring out unto a slayer his sons.

⁵ What do ye at the day appointed? And at the day of Jehovah's festival?

⁶ For, lo, they have gone because of destruction, Egypt gathereth them, Moph burieth them, The desirable things of their silver, Nettles possess them -- a thorn `is' in their tents.

²⁰ See, O Jehovah, and look attentively, To whom Thou hast acted thus, Do women eat their fruit, infants of a handbreadth? Slain in the sanctuary of the Lord are priest and prophet?

³ For thus said Jehovah, Of the sons and of the daughters who are born in this place, And of their mothers -- those bearing them, And of their fathers -- those begetting them in this land:

⁴ Of painful deaths they die, They are not lamented, nor are they buried, For dung on the face of the ground they are, And by sword and by famine are consumed, And their carcase hath been for food To the fowl of the heavens, And to the beast of the earth.

⁷ And I scatter them with a fan, in the gates the land, I bereaved, I have destroyed My people, From their ways they turned not back.

¹⁴ If his sons multiply -- for them `is' a sword. And his offspring `are' not satisfied `with' bread.

²³ till that Jehovah hath turned Israel aside from His presence, as He spake by the hand of all His servants the prophets, and Israel is removed from off its land to Asshur, unto this day.

¹⁸ That Jehovah sheweth himself very angry against Israel, and turneth them aside from His presence; none hath been left, only the tribe of Judah by itself.

¹⁴ And the Spirit of Jehovah turned aside from Saul, and a spirit of sadness from Jehovah terrified him;

¹⁶ And Barak hath pursued after the chariots and after the camp, unto Harosheth of the Goyim, and all the camp of Sisera falleth by the mouth of the sword -- there hath not been left even one.

⁴¹ `Sons and daughters thou dost beget, and they are not with thee, for they go into captivity;

⁴² all thy trees and the fruit of thy ground doth the locust possess;

³² `Thy sons and thy daughters `are' given to another people, and thine eyes are looking and consuming for them all the day, and thy hand is not to God!

⁶⁵ for Jehovah said of them, `They do certainly die in the wilderness;' and there hath not been left of them a man save Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun.