1
Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
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The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.
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He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
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Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;
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Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.
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Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
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He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
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And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
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And I that am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.
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I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
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Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
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And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.
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And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
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Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.
1
When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
2
And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
3
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
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Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
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I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
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According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
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Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
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I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
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O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
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I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
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I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
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The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.
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The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.
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I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
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Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
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Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
1
O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
2
Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
3
Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
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I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
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I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
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His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
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They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
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Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
9
Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
1
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
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While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
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Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
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But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
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For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
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Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
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Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
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Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
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Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
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For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
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Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
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For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
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And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
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But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
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But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
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Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
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For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
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For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
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By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
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Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
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The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
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Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
1
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
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That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
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For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
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Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
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Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
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For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
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But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
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And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
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Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
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As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
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If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
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But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
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If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
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But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
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Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
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For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
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And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
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Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
1
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
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Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
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Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
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And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
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Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
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Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
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Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
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Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
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Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
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But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
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To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12
By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
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The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
14
Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
