And the fadingflowerof its gloriousbeauty,Whichis at the headof the fertilevalley,Will be like the first-ripefigpriorto summer,Whichone sees,[And] as soonas it is in his hand,He swallowsit.
Woeto the proudcrownof the drunkardsof Ephraim,And to the fadingflowerof its gloriousbeauty,Whichis at the headof the fertilevalleyOf those who are overcomewith wine!
for beforethe boyknowshow to cryout 'My fatheror 'My mother,'the wealthof Damascusand the spoilof Samariawill be carriedaway beforethe kingof Assyria."
When Ephraimspoke,[there was] trembling.He exaltedhimselfin Israel,But through Baalhe didwrongand died.
Thoughhe flourishesamongthe reeds,An eastwindwill come,The windof the LORDcomingup from the wilderness;And his fountainwill becomedryAnd his springwill be driedup; It will plunder[his] treasuryof everypreciousarticle.
Whatshall I dowith you, O Ephraim?Whatshall I dowith you, O Judah?For your loyaltyis like a morningcloudAnd like the dewwhich goesaway early.
Ephraimis stricken,their rootis driedup, They will bearnofruit.Eventhoughthey bearchildren, I will slaythe preciousonesof their womb.
Woeis me! For I amLike the fruitpickers,like the grapegatherers.Thereis not a clusterof grapes to eat,[Or] a first-ripefig[which] I crave.
Allyour fortificationsare figtreeswith ripefruit--Whenshaken,they fallinto the eater'smouth.
and the starsof the skyfellto the earth,as a fig treecastsits unripe figswhen shakenby a greatwind.
