כְּדַבֵּר אֶפְרַיִם רְתֵת נָשָׂא הוּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֶּאְשַׁם בַּבַּעַל וַיָּמֹת

In past times, when Ephraim spoke, there was quaking among his listeners due to his lofty status; then he exalted himself, or, alternatively, he raised his voice, in Israel, but all that is in the past, for he became guilty by sinning through the Baal, and he died.

וְעַתָּה יוֹסִפוּ לַחֲטֹא וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם מַסֵּכָה מִכַּסְפָּם כִּתְבוּנָם עֲצַבִּים מַעֲשֵׂה חָרָשִׁים כֻּלֹּה לָהֶם הֵם אֹמְרִים זֹבְחֵי אָדָם עֲגָלִים יִשָּׁקוּן

Now they continue to sin. At first Israel sinned only by worshipping the Baal, but they later created a whole pantheon of idols, and they have made for themselves a cast image from their silver, idols according to their form; its entirety is the work of craftsmen. These idols are nothing more than inanimate materials. To them they say: Only those who slaughter people as sacrifice will be those who merit to kiss the golden calves.

לָכֵן יִהְיוּ כַּעֲנַן־בֹּקֶר וְכַטַּל מַשְׁכִּים הֹלֵךְ כְּמֹץ יְסֹעֵר מִגֹּרֶן וּכְעָשָׁן מֵאֲרֻבָּה

Therefore, they, the sons of Ephraim, who represent the Kingdom of Israel, will be vulnerable like a morning cloud dispersed easily by the rays of the sun, and quickly dissipated like the early morning dew that passes soon after. Ephraim will be like chaff blown and scattered from the threshing floor, and like smoke that emerges and dissipates from a roof vent. Like these, Ephraim marches toward his annihilation.

וְאָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וֵאלֹהִים זוּלָתִי לֹא תֵדָע וּמוֹשִׁיעַ אַיִן בִּלְתִּי

I am the Lord your God since I brought you out from the land of Egypt, and you shall not know a god other than Me. You may not cleave to any other god, and there is no savior but Me.

אֲנִי יְדַעְתִּיךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ תַּלְאֻבוֹת

I knew you and loved you, and I provided all of your needs when you were in the wilderness, in a parched land and a place of suffering and thirst.

כְּמַרְעִיתָם וַיִּשְׂבָּעוּ שָׂבְעוּ וַיָּרָם לִבָּם עַל־כֵּן שְׁכֵחוּנִי

In the wilderness, Israel remained attached to God and in need of His assistance. However, when they settled in the land and were at their grazing, fed from their own land, they were satiated. They were satiated, and their heart became haughty. They became prideful, and therefore they forgot Me. Although Israel also sinned in the wilderness, they did not betray God by straying after idolatry as they did for hundreds of years when they dwelled in the Land of Israel.

וָאֱהִי לָהֶם כְּמוֹ־שָׁחַל כְּנָמֵר עַל־דֶּרֶךְ אָשׁוּר

I will be lying in wait for them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk on the way.

אֶפְגְּשֵׁם כְּדֹב שַׁכּוּל וְאֶקְרַע סְגוֹר לִבָּם וְאֹכְלֵם שָׁם כְּלָבִיא חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה תְּבַקְּעֵם

I will meet them like I was a bereaved bear, possessed of unusual and extreme bitterness and ensuing cruelty, and I will rend the encasement of their heart, just like a bear can tear out a man’s ribs. I will devour them there like a lion; the beast of the field will rupture them.

שִׁחֶתְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־בִי בְעֶזְרֶךָ

Your destruction, Israel, is here, because you were in rebellion against Me, the One who was always your helper.

אֱהִי מַלְכְּךָ אֵפוֹא וְיוֹשִׁיעֲךָ בְּכָל־עָרֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ תְּנָה־לִּי מֶלֶךְ וְשָׂרִים!

Where, then, is your king, that he may rescue you in all your cities, and where are your judges, of whom you said: Give me a king and princes? You requested leadership, but it does not have the strength to help you anymore.

אֶתֶּן־לְךָ מֶלֶךְ בְּאַפִּי וְאֶקַּח בְּעֶבְרָתִי

I acceded to your request, but grudgingly: I will give you a king in My wrath, and then I will take him in My ire. As mentioned earlier, the Kingdom of Israel suffered many dynastic changes due to the numerous rebellions. Just as a king would arise in an act of God’s anger, so would a king be removed.

צָרוּר עֲוֹן אֶפְרָיִם צְפוּנָה חַטָּאתוֹ

All the iniquity of Ephraim is bound; his sin is stored away. Therefore, I will yet punish him for his sins:

חֶבְלֵי יוֹלֵדָה יָבֹאוּ לוֹ הוּא־בֵן לֹא חָכָם כִּי עֵת לֹא־יַעֲמֹד בְּמִשְׁבַּר בָּנִים

Afflictions as difficult as the throes of a woman in childbirth will come to him. He is an unwise son, because at the time this agonizing punishment arrives, he will not have the fortitude to be able to stay on the birthstool for children.

מִיַּד שְׁאוֹל אֶפְדֵּם מִמָּוֶת אֶגְאָלֵם אֱהִי דְבָרֶיךָ מָוֶת אֱהִי קָטָבְךָ שְׁאוֹל נֹחַם יִסָּתֵר מֵעֵינָי

From the netherworld I have redeemed them, and from death I have delivered them, but now I will be your death sentence; I will be your excision in the netherworld; regret will be hidden from My eyes. I will not retract the severe punishment I have decreed upon you.

כִּי הוּא בֵּין אַחִים יַפְרִיא יָבוֹא קָדִים רוּחַ ה' מִמִּדְבָּר עֹלֶה וְיֵבוֹשׁ מְקוֹרוֹ וְיֶחֱרַב מַעְיָנוֹ הוּא יִשְׁסֶה אוֹצַר כָּל־כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה

Though he, Ephraim, had once been fruitful among the fields, now, like an east wind, the wind of the Lord will come and harm him. It ascends from the wilderness to devastate everything, and it will dry out his water source, and his spring will become parched. All of the people’s sources of strength will disappear. It, the wind, will plunder the treasury of all the precious vessels.