Day 345 of 730

¹"Put the trumpet to your lips! Something like an eagle is over the Lord's house, because they have broken my covenant, and rebelled against my law.

²They cry to me, 'My God, we Israel acknowledge you!'

³Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.

⁴They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I did not approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off.

⁵Let Samaria throw out his calf idol! My anger burns against them! How long will it be until they are capable of purity?

⁶For this is even from Israel! The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

⁷For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.

⁸Israel is swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like a worthless thing.

⁹For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for himself.

¹⁰But although they sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.

¹¹Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning.

¹²I wrote for him the many things of my law; but they were regarded as a strange thing.

¹³As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it; But the Lord doesn't accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.

¹⁴For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire on his cities, and it will devour its fortresses."

¹Do not rejoice, Israel, to jubilation like the nations; for you were unfaithful to your God. You love the wages of a prostitute at every grain threshing floor.

²The threshing floor and the winepress won't feed them, and the new wine will fail her.

³They won't dwell in the Lord's land; but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

⁴They won't pour out wine offerings to the Lord, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of the Lord.

⁵What will you do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?

⁶For, behold, they have gone away from destruction. Egypt will gather them up. Memphis will bury them. Nettles will possess their pleasant things of silver. Thorns will be in their tents.

⁷The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Israel will consider the prophet to be a fool, and the man who is inspired to be insane, because of the abundance of your sins, and because your hostility is great.

⁸A prophet watches over Ephraim with my God. A fowler's snare is on all of his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.

⁹They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.

¹⁰I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.

¹¹As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, none with child, and no conception.

¹²Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them, so that not a man shall be left. Indeed, woe also to them when I depart from them!

¹³I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.

¹⁴Give them-Lord what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

¹⁵"All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house! I will love them no more. All their princes are rebels.

¹⁶Ephraim is struck. Their root has dried up. They will bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, yet I will kill the beloved ones of their womb."

¹⁷My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.

¹My heart overflows with a noble theme. I recite my verses for the king. My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer.

²You are the most excellent of the sons of men. Grace has anointed your lips, therefore God has blessed you forever.

³Gird your sword on your thigh, mighty one: your splendor and your majesty.

⁴In your majesty ride on victoriously on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your right hand display awesome deeds.

⁵Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king's enemies.

⁶Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.

⁷You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.

⁸All your garments smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia. Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.

⁹Kings' daughters are among your honorable women. At your right hand the queen stands in gold of Ophir.

¹⁰Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father's house.

¹¹So the king will desire your beauty, honor him, for he is your lord.

¹²The daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The rich among the people entreat your favor.

¹³The princess inside is all glorious. Her clothing is interwoven with gold.

¹⁴She shall be led to the king in embroidered work. The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you.

¹⁵With gladness and rejoicing they shall be led. They shall enter into the king's palace.

¹⁶Your sons will take the place of your fathers. You shall make them princes in all the earth.

¹⁷I will make your name to be remembered in all generations. Therefore the peoples shall give you thanks forever and ever.

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.