The Lord says,“ Ephraim, what can I do with you? And what can I do with you, Judah? Your love for me vanishes like the morning mist. It soon disappears like the early dew.

主说：“以法莲哪，我可向你怎样行呢？犹大啊，我可向你怎样做呢？因为你们的良善如同早晨的云雾，又如速散的甘露。

以法莲哪，我可以向你怎样行呢？犹大啊，我可以向你怎样做呢？因为你们的慈爱如同早晨的云雾，又如速散的露水。

以法莲哪，我可以向你怎样行呢？犹大啊，我可以向你怎样做呢？因为你们的慈爱如同早晨的云雾，又如速散的露水。

耶和华说：“以法莲啊，我该怎样待你呢？犹大啊，我该怎样待你呢？你们对我的爱像晨雾，如转瞬即逝的朝露。

“以法莲啊！我要怎样待你呢？犹大啊，我要怎样待你呢？你们的爱心像早晨的云雾；又像瞬即消逝的朝露。

主說：以法蓮哪，我可向你怎樣行呢？猶大啊，我可向你怎樣做呢？因為你們的良善如同早晨的雲霧，又如速散的甘露。

以法蓮哪，我可以向你怎樣行呢？猶大啊，我可以向你怎樣做呢？因為你們的慈愛如同早晨的雲霧，又如速散的露水。

以法蓮哪，我可以向你怎樣行呢？猶大啊，我可以向你怎樣做呢？因為你們的慈愛如同早晨的雲霧，又如速散的露水。

耶和華說：「以法蓮啊，我該怎樣待你呢？猶大啊，我該怎樣待你呢？你們對我的愛像晨霧，如轉瞬即逝的朝露。

“以法蓮啊！我要怎樣待你呢？猶大啊，我要怎樣待你呢？你們的愛心像早晨的雲霧；又像瞬即消逝的朝露。

以法蓮哪，我可怎樣評斷你呢？猶大啊，我可怎樣評定你呢？你們的堅貞就如早晨的雲霧，又如早散的朝露。

以法蓮歟、我將何以待爾、猶大歟、我將何以待爾、蓋爾之仁義、有若朝雲、又如速消之露、

主曰、以法蓮猶大、我將何如視爾、爾之敬虔、有若朝雲、立見其散、有若晨露、立見其晞、

主曰、以法蓮乎、我將如何待爾、猶大乎、我將如何待爾、爾之善良、善良或作虔敬猶若朝雲、亦若晨露、立時消散、

“ What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.

“ O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord.“ For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight.

What am I going to do with you, Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist and like the early dew that vanishes.

What shall I do with you, Ephraim? What shall I do with you, Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud, And like the dew which goes away early.

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

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early away.

What am I going to do with you, Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, Judah? Your loyalty is like the morning mist and like the early dew that vanishes.

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness[ is] as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, O Judah? For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew!

“ Ephraim, what shall I do to you? Judah, what shall I do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew that disappears early.

So these people will vanish like the morning mist. They will soon disappear like the early dew. They will be like straw that the wind blows around on a threshing floor. They will be like smoke that escapes through a window.

The Lord continues,“ People of Ephraim, how can I give you up? Israel, how can I hand you over to your enemies? Can I destroy you as I did the town of Admah? Can I treat you like Zeboyim? My heart is stirred inside me. It is filled with pity for you.

Every time God killed some of them, the others would seek him. They gladly turned back to him again.They remembered that God was their Rock. They remembered that God Most High had set them free.But they didn’t mean it when they praised him. They lied to him when they spoke.They turned away from him. They weren’t faithful to the covenant he had made with them.

They may have escaped the sin of the world. They may have come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But what if they are once again caught up in sin? And what if it has become their master? Then they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.Suppose they had not known the way of godliness. This would have been better than to know godliness and then turn away from it. The way of godliness is the sacred command passed on to them.What the proverbs say about them is true.“ A dog returns to where it has thrown up.”( Proverbs 26:11) And,“ A pig that is washed goes back to rolling in the mud.”

So he went to the man who took care of the vineyard. He said,‘ For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree. But I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’“‘ Sir,’ the man replied,‘ leave it alone for one more year. I’ll dig around it and feed it.If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message.

He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to weep.He said,“ I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.

Shouldn’t I punish them for this?” announces the Lord.“ Shouldn’t I pay back the nation that does these things?

When the Lord gave them a leader, he was with that leader. The Lord saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. The Lord felt very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. Their enemies treated them badly.But when the leader died, the people returned to their evil ways. The things they did were even more sinful than the things their people before them had done. They served other gods and worshiped them. They refused to give up their evil practices. They wouldn’t change their stubborn ways.

So the Lord said,“ People of Jerusalem and Judah, you be the judge between me and my vineyard.What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones?

Recently you turned away from your sins. You did what is right in my eyes. Each of you set your Hebrew slaves free. You even made a covenant in front of me. You did it in the house where I have put my Name.

“ I myself said,“‘ I would gladly treat you like my children. I would give you a pleasant land. It is the most beautiful land any nation could have.’ I thought you would call me‘ Father.’ I hoped you would always obey me.

Then his people believed his promises and sang praise to him.But they soon forgot what he had done. They didn’t wait for what he had planned to happen.

The Lord says,“ Jerusalem, why should I forgive you? Your people have deserted me. They have made their promises in the names of gods that are not really gods at all. I supplied everything they needed. But they committed adultery. Large crowds went to the houses of prostitutes.

So the Lord who rules over all says,“ I will put them through the fire to test them. What else can I do? My people are so sinful!

But you people have stubborn hearts. You refuse to obey me. You have turned away from me. You have gone astray.

In spite of all this, their sister nation Judah did not come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. They only pretended to,” announces the Lord.

I would like to heal Israel. But when I try to, Ephraim’s sins are brought out into the open. The crimes of Samaria are made known to everyone. The people tell lies. They break into houses and steal. They rob others in the streets.