13  When Ephraim saw his sickness,

and Judah his wound,

then Ephraim went to Assyria,

and sent to the ^ugreat king.¹

But he is not able to cure you

or heal your wound.

11  Ephraim is like a dove,

silly and without sense,

^scalling to Egypt, going to Assyria.

9  For they have ^fgone up to Assyria,

a ^gwild donkey wandering alone;

Ephraim has hired ^hlovers.

1  Ephraim feeds on the wind

and pursues the east wind all day long;

they multiply falsehood and violence;

^dthey make a covenant with Assyria,

and oil is carried to Egypt.