How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria! It sits on a hill like a wreath of flowers. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. It sits above a valley that has rich soil. How terrible it will be for the glorious beauty of that fading flower!

祸哉！以法莲的酒徒，住在肥美谷的山上，他们心里高傲，以所夸的为冠冕，犹如将残之花。

祸哉！以法莲酒徒高傲的冠冕，其荣美竟如花凋残；他们在肥沃的山谷顶上，被酒击败。

祸哉！以法莲酒徒高傲的冠冕，其荣美竟如花凋残；他们在肥沃的山谷顶上，被酒击败。

以法莲酒徒引以为荣的华冠有祸了！它坐落在醉酒者肥美的山谷顶上，它的荣美如将残之花。

以法莲那些醉汉所戴的高傲冠冕，有祸了！它在肥美谷山顶上的荣美，有祸了！它必如将残的花朵，满了喝醉酒的人。

祸哉！以法莲酒徒的高傲冠冕——荣耀华美的将残之花！它就在醉酒人肥沃之谷的山顶上。

禍哉！以法蓮的酒徒，住在肥美谷的山上，他們心裏高傲，以所誇的為冠冕，猶如將殘之花。

禍哉！以法蓮酒徒高傲的冠冕，其榮美竟如花凋殘；他們在肥沃的山谷頂上，被酒擊敗。

禍哉！以法蓮酒徒高傲的冠冕，其榮美竟如花凋殘；他們在肥沃的山谷頂上，被酒擊敗。

以法蓮酒徒引以為榮的華冠有禍了！它座落在醉酒者肥美的山谷頂上，它的榮美如將殘之花。

以法蓮那些醉漢所戴的高傲冠冕，有禍了！它在肥美谷山頂上的榮美，有禍了！它必如將殘的花朵，滿了喝醉酒的人。

以法蓮被酒灌倒的醉漢高傲的華冠有禍啊！他那燦爛美麗、行將凋殘之花、在肥美平谷之山頂上的、有禍啊！

禍哉！以法蓮酒徒的高傲冠冕——榮耀華美的將殘之花！它就在醉酒人肥沃之谷的山頂上。

禍哉、以法蓮醉者高傲之冠冕、及其美飾之殘花、在膏腴山谷之上、其民沉湎於酒、

以法蓮建都於山嶺、望之若冠花冠、四周有谷、土壤膏腴、民人沉湎於酒、心志驕奢、不知浮榮易悴、禍將作矣。

以法蓮人沈湎於酒、其邑建於膏腴平原之岡、狀如華冠、華美莊嚴、遂以自誇、不知實似將殘之花、禍哉禍哉、或作以法蓮建都於高岡在膏腴之谷中狀若華冠其人沈湎於酒心高志傲不知其榮如將殘之花禍哉禍哉

Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley— to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!

Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!

What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria— the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine.

Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. Woe to those overcome with wine.

Woe to the proud crown of the habitually drunk of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine!

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine!

Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine!

Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. Woe to those overcome with wine.

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty[ is] a fading flower, which[ are] on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, situated at the head of a rich valley, the crown of those overcome with wine.

Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine!

On special days to honor our king, the princes get drunk with wine. And the king enjoys the party. He joins hands with those who pretend to be faithful to him.

That city is like a wreath. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. But its enemies will walk all over it.It sits on a hill above a rich valley. The city is like a wreath of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away. But it will become like figs that are ripe before harvest. As soon as people see them, they pick them and swallow them.

Israel’s leaders are drunk from wine. They can’t walk straight. They are drunk from beer. They are unsteady on their feet. Priests and prophets drink beer. They can’t walk straight. They are mixed up from drinking too much wine. They drink too much beer. They are unsteady on their feet. The prophets see visions but don’t really understand them. The priests aren’t able to make good decisions.

with prostitutes. They drink old wine and fresh wine. Their drinking has destroyed their ability to understand.

I have seen a horrible thing in Israel. The people of Ephraim are unfaithful to their own God. The people of Israel are‘ unclean.’

In one day Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed 120,000 soldiers in Judah. That’s because Judah had deserted the Lord, the God of their people.

Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, made the borders of Israel the same as they were before. They reached from Lebo Hamath all the way to the Dead Sea. That’s what the Lord, the God of Israel, had said would happen. He had spoken that message through his servant Jonah. Jonah the prophet was the son of Amittai. Jonah was from the town of Gath Hepher.The Lord had seen how much everyone in Israel was suffering. It didn’t matter whether they were slaves or free. They didn’t have anyone to help them.The Lord hadn’t said he would wipe out Israel’s name from the earth. So he saved them by the power of Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash.

How terrible it will be for those who are heroes at drinking wine! How terrible for those who are heroes at mixing drinks!

During the rule of Pekah, the king of Israel, Tiglath- Pileser marched into the land again. He was king of Assyria. He captured the towns of Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He also captured the lands of Gilead and Galilee. That included the whole territory of Naphtali. He took the people away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria.

Messengers went all through Israel and Judah. They carried letters from the king and his officials. The king had ordered them to do that. The letters said,“ People of Israel, return to the Lord. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Return to him. Then he will return to you who are left in the land. You have escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria.Don’t be like your parents and the rest of your people. They weren’t faithful to the Lord, the God of their people. That’s why he punished them. He made them look so bad that everyone was shocked when they saw them. You can see it for yourselves.

How terrible it will be for you men who are so contented on Mount Zion! How terrible for you who feel secure on the hill of Samaria! You are famous men from the greatest nation. The people of Israel come to you for help and advice.

At the end of three years the army of Assyria captured Samaria. That happened in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s rule. It was the ninth year of the rule of Hoshea, the king of Israel.The king of Assyria took the people of Israel away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He made some of them live in Halah. He made others live in Gozan on the Habor River. And he made others live in the towns of the Medes.These things happened because the Israelites hadn’t obeyed the Lord their God. They had broken the covenant he had made with them. They had refused to do everything Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. They hadn’t paid any attention to those commands. They hadn’t obeyed them.

“ But you made the Nazirites drink wine. You commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

Who has trouble? Who has sorrow? Who argues? Who has problems? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes?

You drink wine by the bowlful. You use the finest lotions. But Joseph’s people will soon be destroyed. And you aren’t even sad about it.

All the people will know about it. Ephraim’s people and those who live in Samaria will know about it. Their hearts are very proud. They say,

How terrible it will be for those who get up early in the morning to start drinking! How terrible for those who stay up late at night until they are drunk with wine!

The capital of Aram is Damascus. And the ruler of Damascus is only Rezin. Do not worry about the people of Ephraim. They will be too crushed to be considered a people. That will happen before 65 years are over.The capital of Ephraim is Samaria. And the ruler of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” ’ ”

Israel’s pride proves that they are guilty. The people of Ephraim trip and fall because they have sinned. Judah falls down along with them.

They lie down beside every altar on clothes they have taken. They lie on those clothes until the owner pays back what is owed. In the house of their God they drink wine that was paid as fines.

The king of Assyria will carry off the wealth of Damascus. He will also carry away the goods that were taken from Samaria. That will happen before the boy knows how to say‘ My father’ or‘ My mother.’ ”