The people of Ephraim mix with the nations. They are like a thin loaf of bread that is baked on only one side.

“以法莲与列邦人搀杂；以法莲是没有翻过的饼。

以法莲混居在万民中，以法莲是没有翻过的饼。

以法莲混居在万民中，以法莲是没有翻过的饼。

“以法莲与外族人混杂，就像没有翻过的饼。

“以法莲与外族混杂，以法莲是没有翻过的饼。

以法蓮與列邦人攙雜；以法蓮是沒有翻過的餅。

以法蓮混居在萬民中，以法蓮是沒有翻過的餅。

以法蓮混居在萬民中，以法蓮是沒有翻過的餅。

「以法蓮與外族人混雜，就像沒有翻過的餅。

“以法蓮與外族混雜，以法蓮是沒有翻過的餅。

以法蓮在列族之民中容許自己被攙雜；以法蓮成了個烙餅、沒翻過的。

以法蓮雜於列邦、乃為未翻之餅、

以法蓮譬諸炊餅、不反必致焦灼、

以法蓮雜處雜處或作混入異邦、以法蓮即如不翻之餅、

“ Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.

Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

“ The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, making themselves as worthless as a half baked cake!

Ephraim has allowed himself to get mixed up with the nations. Ephraim is unturned bread baked on a griddle.

Ephraim is himself thrown about with the nations; Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.

“ Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned.

Ephraim, he mixeth himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

Ephraim has allowed himself to get mixed up with the nations. Ephraim is unturned bread baked on a griddle.

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

Ephraim has mixed itself like flour among the nations; Ephraim is like a ruined cake of bread that is scorched on one side.

Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.

Instead, they mixed with those nations and adopted their ways.

So don’t let your daughters marry their sons. And don’t let their daughters marry your sons. Don’t make a peace treaty with them at any time. Then you will be strong. You will eat the good things the land produces. And you will leave all of it to your children as their share. They and their children after them will enjoy it forever.’

In those days I also saw that some men of Judah had married women from Ashdod. Others had married women from Ammon or Moab.Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. Or they spoke the language of one of the other nations. They didn’t even know how to speak the language of Judah.So I gave them a warning. I cursed them. I beat up some of them. I pulled their hair out. I had them make a promise in God’s name. I said,“ You must promise not to give your daughters to be married to their sons. You must promise not to let their daughters marry your sons. And you must not marry their daughters either.

After all these things had been done, the leaders came to me. They said,“ The people of Israel have committed sins. Even the priests and Levites have sinned. They haven’t kept themselves separate from the nations around them. The Lord hates the practices of those nations. He hates what the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites do. He also hates what the Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites do.

And Judah has been unfaithful. A hateful thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. The Lord loves his temple. But Judah has made it impure. Their men have married women who worship other gods.

Elijah went there and stood in front of the people. He said,“ How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is the one and only God, worship him. But if Baal is the one and only God, worship him.” The people didn’t say anything.

“ The people of Ephraim saw how sick they were. The people of Judah saw that they were wounded. Then Ephraim turned to Assyria for help. They sent gifts to the great King Tiglath- Pileser. But he is not able to make you well. He can’t heal your wounds.

I will destroy those who bow down on their roofs to worship all the stars. I will destroy those who make promises not only in my name but also in the name of Molek.

“ No one can serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one of them and love the other. Or you will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.

They are not faithful to the Lord. Their children are not his. When they celebrate their New Moon feasts, he will destroy their fields.

You won’t remain in the Lord’ s land. Ephraim, you will return to Egypt. You will eat“ unclean” food in Assyria.

The older sister was named Oholah. The younger one was Oholibah. They belonged to me. Sons and daughters were born to them. Oholah stands for Samaria. And Oholibah stands for Jerusalem.“ Oholah was unfaithful to me even while she still belonged to me. She longed for her Assyrian lovers. They included soldierswho wore blue uniforms. They also included governors and commanders. All of them were young and handsome. They rode horses.She gave herself as a prostitute to all Assyria’s finest warriors. She made herself impure with the statues of the gods of everyone she longed for.She started being a prostitute in Egypt. And she never stopped. When she was young, men had sex with her. They kissed her virgin breasts. They used up all their sinful desires on her.“ So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers. She longed for them.They stripped her naked. They took away her sons and daughters. And they killed her with their swords. Other women laughed when that happened. I was the one who had punished her.“ Her sister Oholibah saw it. But her evil desire for sexual sin was worse than her sister’s.

Israel shouts to me,‘ We recognize you as our God!’But they have turned away from what is good. So an enemy will chase them.My people appoint kings I do not want. They choose princes without my permission. They use their silver and gold to make statues of gods. That is how they destroy themselves.”

‘ I know what you are doing. I know you aren’t cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other!But you are lukewarm. You aren’t hot or cold. So I am going to spit you out of my mouth.