O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your goodness is like a morning cloud, and it goes away like the early dew.

For Israel has forgotten his Maker, and builds temples. And Judah has multiplied fortified cities. But I will send a fire on his cities, and it shall burn up his palaces.

And My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, no one at all exalts Him.

for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant.

And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says Jehovah.

And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of trial draw back away.

When an unclean spirit goes out from a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return to my house from which I came out.

Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

Woe to them! For they have fled from Me. Ruin to them! For they have transgressed against Me. Though I redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against Me.

that has said, We shall be strong with our tongue; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?

Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongues walk through the earth.

For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen; because their tongue and their deeds are rebellion toward Jehovah and against the eyes of His glory.

Then they said, Come and let us devise schemes against Jeremiah. For the Law shall not perish from the priest, nor wisdom from the wise, nor the Word from the prophet. Come and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold, how large a forest a little fire kindles.

(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, his righteous soul was tormented from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds);

And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of My offerings, and they eat; but Jehovah does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt.

They shall not live in the land of Jehovah. But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

For, lo, they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; thorns shall be in their tents.

Thus says the Lord Jehovah: You shall drink of your sister's cup, deep and wide; you shall be laughed to scorn and held in derision; for it contains much.

When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name. They said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and they have come out of His land.