Hosea 4:17

4:17 Ephraim has attached himself to idols;

Do not go near him!

Hosea 6:8

6:8 Gilead is a city full of evildoers; ¹ 

its streets are stained with bloody footprints! ² 

Hosea 8:9

The Willful Donkey and the Wanton Harlot

8:9 They have gone up to Assyria,

like a wild donkey that wanders off.

Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers. ³ 

Yesaya 28:1

The Lord Will Judge Samaria

28:1 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, ⁴ 

the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, ⁵ 

situated ⁶  at the head of a rich valley,

the crown of those overcome with wine. ⁷ 

Mikha 6:16

6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,

and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; ⁸ 

you follow their policies. ⁹ 

Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, ¹⁰ 

the city’s ¹¹  inhabitants will be taunted derisively, ¹² 

and nations will mock all of you.” ¹³ 

[6:8]  ¹ tn The participle phrase פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן (po’ale ’aven, “workers of wickedness”) emphasizes continual (uninterrupted), habitual action. This particular use of the participle is an ironic play on the professional occupation function (see IBHS 615 §37.2c). In effect, the major “professional guild” in Gilead is evil-working; the people are producers of evil!

[6:8]  ² tn Heb “it is foot-tracked with blood”; NAB “tracked with (+ footprints of NLT) blood.”

[8:9]  ³ tn Or “has hired herself out to lovers”; cf. NIV “has sold herself to lovers.”

[28:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “Woe [to] the crown [or “wreath”] of the splendor [or “pride”] of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7.

[28:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “the beauty of his splendor.” In the translation the masculine pronoun (“his”) has been replaced by “its” because the referent (the “crown”) is the city of Samaria.

[28:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “which [is].”

[28:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. הֲלוּמֵי יָיִן (halume yayin, “ones overcome with wine”) seems to correspond to שִׁכֹּרֵי אֶפְרַיִם (shikkore ’efrayim, “drunkards of Ephraim”) in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.

[6:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”

[6:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”

[6:16]  sn The Omride dynasty, of which Ahab was the most infamous king, had a reputation for implementing unjust and oppressive measures. See 1 Kgs 21.

[6:16]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.

[6:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:16]  ¹² tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.

[6:16]  ¹³ tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).

[6:16]  tn Heb “and the reproach of my people you will bear.” The second person verb is plural here, in contrast to the singular forms used in vv. 13-15.