12 Ephraim herds the wind,
and pursues the east wind all day long;
they multiply falsehood and violence;
they make a treaty with Assyria,
and oil is carried to Egypt.
The Long History of Rebellion
2
The Lord has an indictment against Judah,
and will punish Jacob according to his ways,
and repay him according to his deeds.
3
In the womb he tried to supplant his brother,
and in his manhood he strove with God.
4
He strove with the angel and prevailed,
he wept and sought his favor;
he met him at Bethel,
and there he spoke with him.[a]
5
The Lord the God of hosts,
the Lord is his name!
6
But as for you, return to your God,
hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.
7
A trader, in whose hands are false balances,
he loves to oppress.
8
Ephraim has said, “Ah, I am rich,
I have gained wealth for myself;
in all of my gain
no offense has been found in me
that would be sin.”[b]
9
I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
as in the days of the appointed festival.
10
I spoke to the prophets;
it was I who multiplied visions,
and through the prophets I will bring destruction.
11
In Gilead[c] there is iniquity,
they shall surely come to nothing.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
so their altars shall be like stone heaps
on the furrows of the field.
12
Jacob fled to the land of Aram,
there Israel served for a wife,
and for a wife he guarded sheep.[d]
13
By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
and by a prophet he was guarded.
14
Ephraim has given bitter offense,
so his Lord will bring his crimes down on him
and pay him back for his insults.
Relentless Judgment on Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel;
but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
2
And now they keep on sinning
and make a cast image for themselves,
idols of silver made according to their understanding,
all of them the work of artisans.
“Sacrifice to these,” they say.[e]
People are kissing calves!
3
Therefore they shall be like the morning mist
or like the dew that goes away early,
like chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
or like smoke from a window.
4
Yet I have been the Lord your God
ever since the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5
It was I who fed[f] you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought.
6
When I fed[g] them, they were satisfied;
they were satisfied, and their heart was proud;
therefore they forgot me.
7
So I will become like a lion to them,
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8
I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs,
and will tear open the covering of their heart;
there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild animal would mangle them.
9
I will destroy you, O Israel;
who can help you?[h]
10
Where now is[i] your king, that he may save you?
Where in all your cities are your rulers,
of whom you said,
“Give me a king and rulers”?
11
I gave you a king in my anger,
and I took him away in my wrath.
12
Ephraim’s iniquity is bound up;
his sin is kept in store.
13
The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son;
for at the proper time he does not present himself
at the mouth of the womb.
14
Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from Death?
O Death, where are[j] your plagues?
O Sheol, where is[k] your destruction?
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15
Although he may flourish among rushes,[l]
the east wind shall come, a blast from the Lord,
rising from the wilderness;
and his fountain shall dry up,
his spring shall be parched.
It shall strip his treasury
of every precious thing.
16
[m] Samaria shall bear her guilt,
because she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword,
their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
and their pregnant women ripped open.
A Plea for Repentance
14 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2
Take words with you
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all guilt;
accept that which is good,
and we will offer
the fruit[n] of our lips.
3
Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride upon horses;
we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”
Assurance of Forgiveness
4
I will heal their disloyalty;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5
I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily,
he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.[o]
6
His shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive tree,
and his fragrance like that of Lebanon.
7
They shall again live beneath my[p] shadow,
they shall flourish as a garden;[q]
they shall blossom like the vine,
their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8
O Ephraim, what have I[r] to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.[s]
I am like an evergreen cypress;
your faithfulness[t] comes from me.
9
Those who are wise understand these things;
those who are discerning know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
The Marvels of Nature
13
By his command he sends the driving snow
and speeds the lightnings of his judgment.
14
Therefore the storehouses are opened,
and the clouds fly out like birds.
15
In his majesty he gives the clouds their strength,
and the hailstones are broken in pieces.
17a
The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth;
16
when he appears, the mountains shake.
At his will the south wind blows;
17b
so do the storm from the north and the whirlwind.
He scatters the snow like birds flying down,
and its descent is like locusts alighting.
18
The eye is dazzled by the beauty of its whiteness,
and the mind is amazed as it falls.
19
He pours frost over the earth like salt,
and icicles form like pointed thorns.
20
The cold north wind blows,
and ice freezes on the water;
it settles on every pool of water,
and the water puts it on like a breastplate.
21
He consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness,
and withers the tender grass like fire.
22
A mist quickly heals all things;
the falling dew gives refreshment from the heat.
23
By his plan he stilled the deep
and planted islands in it.
24
Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers,
and we marvel at what we hear.
25
In it are strange and marvelous creatures,
all kinds of living things, and huge sea-monsters.
26
Because of him each of his messengers succeeds,
and by his word all things hold together.
27
We could say more but could never say enough;
let the final word be: “He is the all.”
28
Where can we find the strength to praise him?
For he is greater than all his works.
29
Awesome is the Lord and very great,
and marvelous is his power.
30
Glorify the Lord and exalt him as much as you can,
for he surpasses even that.
When you exalt him, summon all your strength,
and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough.
31
Who has seen him and can describe him?
Or who can extol him as he is?
32
Many things greater than these lie hidden,
for I[a] have seen but few of his works.
33
For the Lord has made all things,
and to the godly he has given wisdom.
The Rejoicing in Heaven
19 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power to our God,
2
for his judgments are true and just;
he has judged the great whore
who corrupted the earth with her fornication,
and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”[a]
3 Once more they said,
“Hallelujah!
The smoke goes up from her forever and ever.”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying,
“Amen. Hallelujah!”
5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,[b]
and all who fear him,
small and great.”
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
8
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said[c] to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant[d] with you and your comrades[e] who hold the testimony of Jesus.[f] Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus[g] is the spirit of prophecy.”
The Rider on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in[h] blood, and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule[i] them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
The Beast and Its Armies Defeated
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and their riders—flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed in its presence the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were killed by the sword of the rider on the horse, the sword that came from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.