Here God asks the northern and southern kingdoms (called Ephraim and Judah) questions that a parent would ask his or her child. A question that sounds like: what am I supposed to do with you? Your words are beautiful, but your actions do not match them.
Such a parent does not know what to do with his child. Thus, the Lord is at a loss with his children. Their words sound beautiful, but is their heart really his? They do confess guilt, with their mouths, but how deep does it run?
4 Que te ferai-je, Ephraïm? Que te ferai-je, Juda? Votre piété est comme la nuée du matin, Comme la rosée qui bientôt se dissipe.