Israel grows among his brothers, but a powerful east wind will come—the Lord’s wind will blow from the desert. Then his well will dry up. His spring of water will be dry. The wind will take away anything of value.
Ephraim will be punished. Their root is dying. They will not have any more babies. They might give birth to babies, but I will kill the precious babies who come from their bodies.
The Israelites did a foolish thing—it was like trying to plant the wind. But they will get only troubles—they will harvest a whirlwind. The grain in the fields will grow, but it will give no food. Even if it grew something, strangers would eat it.
The people in the cities had no power. They were afraid and confused. They were about to be cut down like grass and plants in the field. They were like grass growing on the housetops, dying before it grows tall.
Then the thin heads of grain ate the seven good heads of grain. “I told these dreams to my magicians. But no one could explain the dreams to me. What do they mean?”