“I will let everyone who wins the victory sit with me on my throne. It was the same with me. I won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Someone like that is deceived. They don’t know what they are doing. They cannot save themselves, and they will not admit, “This statue I am holding is a lie!”
The Lord says, “These people come to honor me with words, but I am not really important to them. The worship they give me is nothing but human rules they have memorized.
Then the man said, “Your name will not be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel. I give you this name because you have fought with God and with men, and you have won.”
Ephraim is wasting its time; Israel “chases the wind” all day long. The people tell more and more lies and steal more and more. They have made agreements with Assyria, and they are carrying their olive oil to Egypt.
Like a boomerang, they changed directions, but they did not come back to me. Their leaders bragged about their strength, but they will be killed with swords. And the people in Egypt will laugh at them.
“Israel, just because you act like a prostitute doesn’t mean that Judah should feel guilty too. People, don’t go to Gilgal or Beth Aven. Don’t use the Lord’s name to make promises. Don’t say, ‘As the Lord lives …!’