⁴ "I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt, and you have known no god except for me, because except for me there is no savior. ⁵ I took care of you in the wilderness, in a waterless land. ⁶ As their pastures flourished, all their desires were met. As they were satiated, they became arrogant and therefore ignored me. ⁷ "So I will be like a lion to them. Like a leopard I will stalk them along the road. ⁸ I will confront them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their ribs. I will devour them like a lion the wild beasts will rip them apart. ⁹ "You have destroyed yourself, Israel, although I remain your help.

¹⁰ Now where is your king? Will he save you in all your cities? And where are your judges, about whom you demanded, "Give me a king and officials!'? ¹¹ I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my fury." ¹² "Ephraim's guilt is on record; his sin is stored away. ¹³ When the time of childbirth comes, he will be so foolish that he will refuse to be born."

¹⁴ "From the power of Sheol I will rescue them, from death I will redeem them. Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? My eyes will remain closed to your pleas for compassion.