God uses this question to rebuke his people for saying that they have not worshiped the Baals. AT: "You lie when you say, 'I ... have not walked after the Baals.' (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
# you are a swift female camel running here and there
God speaks of Israel worshiping other gods as if they were like a female camel running in different directions looking for a male camel to mate with. AT: "You are like a swift female camel running back and forth looking for a male camel to mate with" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
God speaks of Israel worshiping other gods as if they were a wild female donkey running to find male donkeys. AT: "You are like a young female donkey that lives in the desert. When she wants to mate she is out of control and constantly sniffs the breeze to find a mate" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
This phrase is an idiom referring to the time when a female donkey wants to mate with male donkeys. AT: "when she wants to mate" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
This question is used to emphasize that no one can control a female donkey when she is wants to mate with a male donkey. AT: "No one can turn her around when she wants to mate." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
God speaks of Israel wanting to worship other gods as if they were running around in the desert looking for those gods. AT: "I have told you to stop running here and there chasing after false gods, because all that it does is wear out your sandals and make you very thirsty" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
"There is no hope for us to restrain ourselves." This implies that they cannot stop themselves from running after other gods. AT: "We cannot stop ourselves" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
Here "strangers" represents foreign gods, and "go after them" represents worshiping them. AT: "We must follow after foreign gods and worship them!'" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
See in Reader
