Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come out from the waters of Judah, who swear by Jehovah’s name and make mention by the God of Israel, not in truth or in righteousness.
So hear the Word of Jehovah, all Judah who sojourn in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says Jehovah, that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord Jehovah lives.
And you, O house of Israel, so says the Lord Jehovah: Go, every man serve his idols, even hereafter, if you will not listen to Me. But you will not still profane My holy name with your gifts and with your idols.
The people of Samaria shall dread because of the calves of Beth-aven. For its people shall mourn over it; also its priests who rejoiced on it for its glory, because it has departed from it.
And the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars. And they shall say to the mountains, Cover us! and to the hills, Fall on us!
Ephraim feeds on wind, and follows after the east wind; all the day he multiplies lies and ruin. And they cut a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.
My people seek advice by their wood, and their rod declares to them. For the spirit of fornication has led them astray, and they fornicated from under their God.
All their evil is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them out of My house for the evil of their doings, I will not add to love them; all their rulers are revolters.
But do not seek Beth-el, and do not enter Gilgal, and do not cross over to Beersheba; for going Gilgal shall go into exile, and Beth-el shall be for nothing.
And his uncle shall lift him up, and he who burns him, to bring out the bones from the house; and he shall say to that one left in the recesses of the house, Are any still with you? And he shall say, None. And he shall say, Hush! For none shall mention the name of Jehovah.
Those swearing by the guilt of Samaria, and say, As your God lives, O Dan! And, As the way of Beer-sheba lives! Even they shall fall, and not rise up again.
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, on the east of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai.