Thursday, 12 December

1.   Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor. 2.   The threshing floor and the winepress Shall not feed them, And the new wine shall fail in her. 3.   They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, And shall eat unclean things in Assyria. 4.   They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, Nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for their own life; It shall not come into the house of the LORD. 5.   What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the LORD? 6.   For indeed 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. 7.   The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, The spiritual man is insane, Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity. 8.   The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways––Enmity in the house of his God. 9.   They are deeply corrupted, As in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins. 10.   "I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved. 11.   As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird––No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception! 12.   Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them! 13.   Just as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place, So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer." 14.   Give them, O LORD––What will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb And dry breasts! 15.   "All their wickedness is in Gilgal, For there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious. 16.   Ephraim is stricken, Their root is dried up; They shall bear no fruit. Yes, were they to bear children, I would kill the darlings of their womb." 17.   My God will cast them away, Because they did not obey Him; And they shall be wanderers among the nations.

1.   Israel empties his vine; He brings forth fruit for himself. According to the multitude of his fruit He has increased the altars; According to the bounty of his land They have embellished his sacred pillars. 2.   Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars. 3.   For now they say, "We have no king, Because we did not fear the LORD. And as for a king, what would he do for us?" 4.   They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field. 5.   The inhabitants of Samaria fear Because of the calf of Beth Aven. For its people mourn for it, And its priests shriek for it––Because its glory has departed from it. 6.   The idol also shall be carried to Assyria As a present for King Jareb. Ephraim shall receive shame, And Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel. 7.   As for Samaria, her king is cut off Like a twig on the water. 8.   Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, Shall be destroyed. The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars; They shall say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!" 9.   "O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah; There they stood. The battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity Did not overtake them. 10.   When it is My desire, I will chasten them. Peoples shall be gathered against them When I bind them for their two transgressions. 11.   Ephraim is a trained heifer That loves to thresh grain ; But I harnessed her fair neck, I will make Ephraim pull a plow . Judah shall plow; Jacob shall break his clods." 12.   Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. 13.   You have plowed wickedness; You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, Because you trusted in your own way, In the multitude of your mighty men. 14.   Therefore tumult shall arise among your people, And all your fortresses shall be plundered As Shalman plundered Beth Arbel in the day of battle––A mother dashed in pieces upon her children. 15.   Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel, Because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel Shall be cut off utterly.

1.   "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. 2.   As they called them, So they went from them; They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images. 3.   "I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them. 4.   I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them. 5.   "He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent. 6.   And the sword shall slash in his cities, Devour his districts, And consume them , Because of their own counsels. 7.   My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him . 8.   "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. 9.   I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, The Holy One in your midst; And I will not come with terror. 10.   "They shall walk after the LORD. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, Then His sons shall come trembling from the west; 11.   They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt, Like a dove from the land of Assyria. And I will let them dwell in their houses," Says the LORD. 12.   "Ephraim has encircled Me with lies, And the house of Israel with deceit; But Judah still walks with God, Even with the Holy One who is faithful.

1.   "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2.   "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3.   "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4.   "You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5.   "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6.   "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."’ 7.   "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": 8.   "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9.   "Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie––indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10.   "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11.   "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 12.   "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 13.   "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."’ 14.   "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15.   "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16.   "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17.   "Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ ––and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked–– 18.   "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19.   "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20.   "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21.   "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22.   "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."’"