Assyria can’t save us. We won’t trust in our war horses. Our own hands have made statues of gods. But we will never call them our gods again. We are like children whose fathers have died. But you show us your tender love.”

我们不向亚述求救，不骑埃及的马，也不再对我们手所造的说：‘你是我们的神。’因为孤儿在你耶和华那里得蒙怜悯。”

亚述不能救我们，我们不再骑马，也不再对我们手所造的偶像说：‘你是我们的上帝’；孤儿在你那里得蒙怜悯。”

亚述不能救我们，我们不再骑马，也不再对我们手所造的偶像说：‘你是我们的神’；孤儿在你那里得蒙怜悯。”

我们不再向亚述求救，不再依靠战马，也不再称自己所造的神像为我们的上帝。耶和华啊，只有在你那里，孤儿才能得到怜悯。”

亚述不能救我们，我们必不再骑马；我们亲手所做的，我们必不再称为‘我们的神’；因为在你那里，孤儿才得着怜悯。”

我們不向亞述求救，不騎埃及的馬，也不再對我們手所造的說：你是我們的神。因為孤兒在你－耶和華那裏得蒙憐憫。

亞述不能救我們，我們不再騎馬，也不再對我們手所造的偶像說：『你是我們的上帝』；孤兒在你那裏得蒙憐憫。」

亞述不能救我們，我們不再騎馬，也不再對我們手所造的偶像說：『你是我們的神』；孤兒在你那裏得蒙憐憫。」

我們不再向亞述求救，不再依靠戰馬，也不再稱自己所造的神像為我們的上帝。耶和華啊，只有在你那裡，孤兒才能得到憐憫。」

亞述不能救我們，我們必不再騎馬；我們親手所做的，我們必不再稱為‘我們的神’；因為在你那裡，孤兒才得著憐憫。”

亞述不能拯救我們，駿馬我們必不再騎上；我們的手所造的我們必不再稱為「我們的上帝」，因為只有在你裏面孤兒得以找到憐憫。

我不恃亞述之救援、不復乘馬、不復謂我手所造者曰、爾為我神、孤兒必蒙矜憫於爾耶和華、

我不求救於亞述、不恃驍騎、不稱所作之像為我上帝、無父之子、惟爾矜憫、

我儕不復求救於亞述、不復欲乘伊及之馬、不再稱己手所造者為我之天主、我之天主或作我儕之神無父之子、惟主矜恤、

Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say‘ Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more,‘ Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”

Assyria cannot save us, nor can our warhorses. Never again will we say to the idols we have made,‘ You are our gods.’ No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy.”

Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim,‘ Our gods!’ to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in you.”

Assyria will not save us, We will not ride on horses; Nor will we say again,‘ Our god’ To the work of our hands; For in You the orphan finds mercy.”

Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands,‘ You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

Assyria 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.

Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim,‘ Our gods!’ to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in You.”

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.

Assyria cannot save us; we will not ride warhorses. We will never again say,‘ Our gods’ to what our own hands have made. For only you will show compassion to Orphan Israel!”

Assyria can’t save us. We won’t ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands,‘ Our gods!’ for in you the fatherless finds mercy.”

God, you see the problems of people in trouble. You take note of their pain. You do something about it. So those who are attacked place themselves in your care. You help children whose fathers have died.

God is in his holy temple. He is a father to children whose fathers have died. He takes care of women whose husbands have died.

People can’t trust a horse to save them either. Though it is very strong, it can’t save them.

I will not leave you like children who don’t have parents. I will come to you.

She will no longer speak about the gods that are named Baal. She will not pray to them for help anymore.

“ The people of Ephraim saw how sick they were. The people of Judah saw that they were wounded. Then Ephraim turned to Assyria for help. They sent gifts to the great King Tiglath- Pileser. But he is not able to make you well. He can’t heal your wounds.

Ephraim will have nothing more to do with other gods. I will answer the prayers of my people. I will take good care of them. I will be like a healthy juniper tree to them. All the fruit they bear will come from me.”

How terrible it will be for those who go down to Egypt for help! How terrible for those who depend on horses! They trust in how many chariots they have. They trust in how strong their horsemen are. But they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. They don’t ask the Lord for his help.

You said,‘ No. We’ll escape on horses.’ So you will have to escape! You said,‘ We’ll ride off on fast horses.’ So those who chase you will use faster horses!

They have gone up to Assyria for help. They are like a wild donkey that wanders around by itself. Ephraim’s people have sold themselves to their Assyrian lovers.

I will sprinkle pure water on you. Then you will be‘ clean.’ I will make you completely pure and‘ clean.’ I will take all the statues of your gods away from you.

The king must not get large numbers of horses for himself. He must not make the people return to Egypt to get more horses. The Lord has told you,“ You must not go back there again.”

The people of Jacob will have to pay for their sin. Here is how they will show that their sin has been removed. They will make all the altar stones like limestone. They will crush them to pieces. No poles used to worship the female god named Asherah will be left standing. No incense altars will be left either.

The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land. He takes good care of children whose fathers have died. He also takes good care of widows. But he causes evil people to fail in everything they do.

The Lord says,“ The people of Ephraim are like a dove. They are easily tricked. They do not have any sense at all. First they call out to Egypt for help. Then they turn to Assyria.

They go down to Egypt without asking me for advice. They look to Pharaoh to help them. They ask Egypt to keep them safe.

He said,“ Son of man, this is the place where my throne is. The stool for my feet is also here. I will live here among the people of Israel forever. They will never again treat my name as if it were not holy. They and their kings will not serve other gods anymore. The people will no longer make funeral offerings for their kings.The people of Israel placed their own doorway next to my holy doorway. They put their doorposts right beside mine. Nothing but a thin wall separated us. They treated my name as if it were not holy. I hated it when they did that. So I became angry with them and destroyed them.Now let them stop serving other gods. Let them stop making funeral offerings for their kings. If they obey me, I will live among them forever.

“ Israel, you take delight in worshiping among the sacred oak trees. You will be full of shame for doing that. You have chosen to worship in the sacred gardens. You will be dishonored for doing that.

At that time Hanani the prophet came to Asa, the king of Judah. He said to him,“ You trusted the king of Aram. You didn’t trust in the Lord your God. So the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you.

The men of Egypt are only human beings. They aren’t God. Their horses are only flesh and blood. They aren’t spirits. The Lord will reach out his powerful hand to punish everyone. The Egyptians provide help. But they will be tripped up. The people of Judah receive the help. But they will fall down. All of them will be destroyed.

“ At that time I will destroy your war horses,” announces the Lord.“ I will smash your chariots.I will destroy the cities in your land. I will tear down all your forts.I will destroy your worship of evil powers. You will no longer be able to put a spell on anyone.I will destroy the statues of your gods. I will take your sacred stones away from you. You will no longer bow down to the gods your hands have made.I will pull down the poles you used to worship the female god named Asherah. That will happen when I completely destroy your cities.

Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses. But we trust in the Lord our God.They are brought to their knees and fall down. But we get up and stand firm.

They will no longer make themselves‘ unclean’ by worshiping any of their evil gods. They will not do wrong things anymore. They always turn away from me. But I will save them from that sin. I will make them pure and‘ clean.’ They will be my people. And I will be their God.

Their calf is not God. A skilled worker from Israel made it. But that calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.”

“ Do not take advantage of widows. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died.If you do, they might cry out to me. I will certainly hear them.And I will get angry. I will kill you with a sword. Your wives will become widows. Your children’s fathers will die.

Don’t move old boundary stones. Don’t try to take over the fields of children whose fathers have died.That’s because the God who guards them is strong. He will stand up for them in court against you.

People had made some statues of gods out of silver. They had made others out of gold. Then they worshiped them. But when the Lord comes, they will throw the statues away to the moles and bats.

“ I have heard the groans of Ephraim’s people. They say,‘ You corrected us like a calf you were training. And we have been trained. Bring us back to you, and we will come back. You are the Lord our God.After we wandered away from you, we turned away from our sins. After we learned our lesson, we beat our chests in sorrow. We were full of shame. What we did when we were young brought dishonor on us.’Aren’t the people of Ephraim my dear children? Aren’t they the children I take delight in? I often speak against them. But I still remember them. So my heart longs for them. I love them with a tender love,” announces the Lord.The Lord says,“ Put up road signs. Set up stones to show the way. Look carefully for the highway. Look for the road you will take. Return, people of Israel. Return to your towns.How long will you wander, my people Israel, who are not faithful to me? I will create a new thing on earth. The woman will return to the man.”

“ On that day I will remove the names of other gods from the land. They will not even be remembered anymore,” announces the Lord who rules over all.“ I will drive the evil prophets out of the land. I will get rid of the spirit that put lies in their mouths.

The people of Ephraim look to others for help. It’s like chasing the wind. The wind they keep chasing is hot and dry. They tell more and more lies. They are always hurting others. They make a peace treaty with Assyria. They send olive oil to Egypt to get help.

Don’t put your trust in human leaders. Don’t trust in people who can’t save you.

“‘ “Come on. Make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I’ll give you 2,000 horses. But only if you can put riders on them!