Hosea 7
1 When I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim will be exposed, as well as the crimes of Samaria. For they practice deceit and thieves break in; bandits raid in the streets.
When I have healed Israel, then shall the iniquity of Ephraim be revealed, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they have wrought falsehood: and a thief shall come in to him, [even] a robber spoiling in his way;
2 But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.
that they may concert together as [men] singing in their heart: I remember all their wickedness: now have their own counsels compassed them about; they came before my face.
3 They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
They gladdened kings with their wickedness, and princes with their lies.
4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough.
They are all adulterers, as an oven glowing with flame for hot-baking, on account of the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.
5 The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.
[In] the days of our kings, the princes began to be inflamed with wine: he stretched out his hand with pestilent fellows.
6 For they prepare their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
Therefore their hearts are inflamed as an oven, while they rage all the night: Ephraim is satisfied with sleep; the morning is come; he is burnt up as a flame of fire.
7 All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings fall; not one of them calls upon Me.
They are all heated like an oven, and have devoured their judges: all their kings are fallen; there was not amongst them one that called on me.
8 Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.
Ephraim is mixed amongst his people; Ephraim became a cake not turned.
9 Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not know.
Strangers devoured his strength, and he knew [it] not; and grey hairs came upon him, and he knew [it] not.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him.
And the pride of Israel shall be brought down before his face: yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, neither have they diligently sought him for all this.
11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove— calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.
And Ephraim was as a silly dove, not having a heart: he called to Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians.
12 As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.
Whenever they shall go, I will cast my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the sky, I will chasten them with the rumour of their [coming] affliction.
13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me! Though I would redeem them, they speak lies against Me.
Woe to them! for they have started aside from me: they are cowards; for they have sinned against me: yet I redeemed them, but they spoke falsehoods against me.
14 They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.
And their hearts did not cry to me, but they howled on their beds: they pined for oil and wine.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.
They were instructed by me, and I strengthened their arms; and they devised evils against me.
16 They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.
They turned aside to that which is not, they became as a bent bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, by reason of the unbridled state of their tongue: this is their setting at nothing in the land of Egypt.
