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 would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers plunder outside.
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 consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them on every side; they are before my face.
3 They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the 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 heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded 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 day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
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 have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as 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 are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth to me.
8 Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.
Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; 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 here and there upon him, yet he knoweth 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 testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD 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 also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to 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 shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
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 fled from me: destruction to them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies 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 they have not cried to me with their heart, when they wailed upon their beds: they assemble themselves for grain and wine, and they rebel against me.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.
Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief 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 rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
