For they have gone up to Assyria,
Like a wild donkey all alone;
Ephraim has hired lovers.
When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb.
But he is unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your wound.
So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense;
They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb.
But he is unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your wound.
So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense;
They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie;
In the balances they go up;
They are together lighter than breath.
Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For why should he be esteemed?
Thus says the Lord,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the Lord.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.
So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense;
They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
The naive believes everything,
But the sensible man considers his steps.
And I saw among the naive,
And discerned among the youths
A young man lacking sense,
“How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
“O naive ones, understand prudence;
And, O fools, understand wisdom.
The prudent sees the evil and hides himself,
But the naive go on, and are punished for it.