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 was about to deliver my people from captivity, When I would have healed Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, And the wickedness of Samaria; For they practise fraud, And the thief entereth in, And the band of robbers spoileth without.
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.
And they think not in their hearts, That I remember all their wickedness. Now shall their doings encompass them; They are before my face.
3 They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
With their wickedness they gladden the king, And with their falsehoods the princes; All of them are adulterers;
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 as an oven heated by the baker; He ceaseth to stir the fire, Until the dough which he hath kneaded be leavened.
5 The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.
On the feast-day of our king, the princes are sick with the heat of wine, And he stretcheth out his hand with revilers.
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.
For they make ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait; All night the baker sleepeth; In the morning it gloweth like a flaming 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 all glow as an oven; They have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen; And none among them calleth upon me.
8 Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.
Ephraim hath mixed himself with the nations; Ephraim is 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 have devoured his strength, And he knoweth it not; Yea, gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, Yet he knoweth 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.
The pride of Israel testifieth to his face; Yet do not they return to Jehovah their God, Nor seek him, for all this.
11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove— calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.
Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding; They call upon Egypt; they go to Assyria.
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.
When they go, I will spread my net over them; As birds of heaven will I bring them down. I will chastise them, as hath been proclaimed in their congregation.
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 wandered from me! Destruction upon them, for they have rebelled against me! Though I myself would redeem them, they speak falsely to 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.
They cry not to me from their heart, But howl upon their beds; For corn and wine they assemble themselves; They rebel against me.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.
I have chastened them; I have also strengthened their arms; Yet do they devise evil 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 return, but not to the Most High; They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes shall fall by the sword for the haughtiness of their tongues; This shall be their reproach in the land of Egypt.
