"Whydo you goaround somuchChangingyour way?Also,you will be putto shameby EgyptAs you were putto shameby Assyria.
"Howlongwill you gohereand there,O faithlessdaughter?For the LORDhas createda newthingin the earth--A womanwill encompassa man."
When Ephraimsawhis sickness,And Judahhis wound,Then Ephraimwentto AssyriaAnd sentto KingJareb.But he is unableto healyou, Or to cureyou of your wound.
Ephraimfeedson wind,And pursuesthe eastwindcontinually;He multipliesliesand violence.Moreover, he makesa covenantwith Assyria,And oilis carriedto Egypt.
"Howcan you say,'I am not defiled,I have not goneafterthe Baals?Lookat your wayin the valley!Knowwhatyou have done!You are a swiftyoungcamelentanglingher ways,
At that timeKingAhazsentto the kingsof Assyriafor help.
"Assyriawill not saveus, We will not rideon horses;Norwill we sayagain,Our god,'To the workof our hands;For in You the orphanfindsmercy."
The thing itselfwill be carriedto AssyriaAs tributeto KingJareb;Ephraimwill be seizedwith shameAnd Israelwill be ashamedof its own counsel.
So Ephraimhas becomelike a sillydove,withoutsense;They callto Egypt,they goto Assyria.
"When they tookholdof you with the hand,You brokeand torealltheir hands;And when they leanedon you, You brokeand made alltheir loinsquake."
We have submittedto Egypt[and] Assyriato getenoughbread.
Yetour eyesfailed,[Looking] for helpwas useless;In our watchingwe have watchedFor a nationthat could not save.
"Thussaysthe LORDGodof Israel,Thusyou are to sayto the kingof Judah,who sentyou to Me to inquireof Me: "Behold,Pharaoh'sarmywhich has comeout for your assistanceis going to returnto its own landof Egypt.
"Howwellyou prepareyour wayTo seeklove!Thereforeeventhe wickedwomenYou have taughtyour ways.
"But nowwhatare you doing on the roadto Egypt,To drinkthe watersof the Nile?Or whatare you doing on the roadto Assyria,To drinkthe watersof the Euphrates?
"Then they will be dismayedand ashamedbecauseof Cushtheir hopeand Egypttheir boast.
The nationshave heardof your shame,And the earthis fullof your cry[of distress]; For one warriorhas stumbledover another,And bothof them have fallendowntogether.
"Moreover, you playedthe harlotwith the Assyriansbecauseyou were not satisfied;you playedthe harlotwith them and stillwere not satisfied.
"Goup to Lebanonand cryout, And liftup your voicein Bashan;Cryout also from Abarim,For allyour lovershave been crushed.
"The windwill sweepawayallyour shepherds,And your loverswill gointo captivity;Thenyou will surelybe ashamedand humiliatedBecauseof allyour wickedness.
