As for Ephraim,their glorywill flyawaylike a bird--Nobirth,nopregnancyand noconception!
He namedthe secondEphraim,"For," [he said], "Godhas mademe fruitfulin the landof my affliction."
"Josephis a fruitfulbough,A fruitfulboughby a spring;[Its] branchesrunovera wall.
Michalthe daughterof Saulhadnochildto the dayof her death.
"Indeed,the lightof the wickedgoesout, And the flameof his firegivesnolight.
[Let them be] as a snailwhich meltsawayas it goesalong, [Like] the miscarriagesof a womanwhich neverseethe sun.
Ifa manfathersa hundred[children] and livesmanyyears,however manythey be, but his soulis not satisfiedwith goodthingsand he does not evenhavea [proper] burial,[then] I say,"Betterthe miscarriagethanhe,
"The fortifiedcitywill disappearfrom Ephraim,And sovereigntyfrom DamascusAnd the remnantof Aram;They will be like the gloryof the sonsof Israel,"Declaresthe LORDof hosts.
The inhabitantsof Samariawill fearFor the calfof Beth-aven.Indeed,its peoplewill mournfor it, And its idolatrouspriestswill cryout overit, Overits glory,sinceit has departedfrom it.
The more they multiplied,the morethey sinnedagainst Me; I will changetheir gloryinto shame.
Ephraimwill becomea desolationin the dayof rebuke;Among the tribesof IsraelI declarewhat is sure.
Givethem, O LORD--whatwill You give?Givethem a miscarryingwomband drybreasts.
Thussaysthe LORD,"For threetransgressionsof the sonsof Ammonand for fourI will not revokeits [punishment], Becausethey rippedopenthe pregnantwomenof GileadIn orderto enlargetheir borders.
"For behold,the daysare comingwhenthey will say,Blessedare the barren,and the wombsthat neverbore,and the breaststhat nevernursed.'
"Cursed[shall be] the offspringof your bodyand the produceof your ground,the increaseof your herdand the youngof your flock.
and toward her afterbirthwhich issuesfrom betweenher legsand toward her childrenwhomshe bears;for she will eatthem secretlyfor lackof anything[else], during the siegeand the distressby whichyour enemywill oppressyou in your towns.
"As the firstbornof his ox,majestyis his, And his hornsare the hornsof the wildox;With them he will pushthe peoples,Allat once,[to] the endsof the earth.And thoseare the tenthousandsof Ephraim,And thoseare the thousandsof Manasseh."
