Hosea 7
1 When my desire was for the fate of my people to be changed and to make Israel well, then the sin of Ephraim was made clear, and the evil-doing of Samaria; for their ways are false, and the thief comes into the house, while the band of outlaws takes property by force in the streets.
When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they practise falsehood; and the thief entereth in, [and] the troop of robbers assaileth without.
2 And they do not say to themselves that I keep in mind all their sin; now their evil acts come round them on every side; they are before my face.
And they say not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now do their own doings encompass them; they are before my face.
3 In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 They are all untrue; they are like a burning oven; the bread-maker does not make up the fire from the time when the paste is mixed till it is leavened.
They all practise adultery, as an oven heated by the baker: he ceaseth from stirring [the fire] after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5 On the day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.
In the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine: he stretched out his hand to scorners.
6 For they have made their hearts ready like an oven, while they are waiting secretly; their wrath is sleeping all night; in the morning it is burning like a flaming fire.
For they have applied their heart like an oven to their lying in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth like a flaming fire.
7 They are all heated like an oven, and they put an end to their judges; all their kings have been made low; not one among them makes prayer to me.
They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8 Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Ephraim, he mixeth himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Men from other lands have made waste his strength, and he is not conscious of it; grey hairs have come on him here and there, and he has no knowledge of it.
Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth [it] not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth [it] not.
10 And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; but for all this, they have not gone back to the Lord their God, or made search for him.
And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to Jehovah their God, nor seek him for all this.
11 And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 When they go, my net will be stretched out over them; I will take them like the birds of heaven, I will give them punishment, I will take them away in the net for their sin.
When they go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowl of the heavens; I will chastise them, according as their assembly hath heard.
13 May trouble be theirs! for they have gone far away from me; and destruction, for they have been sinning against me; I was ready to be their saviour, but they said false words against me.
Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against me. And I would redeem them; but they speak lies against me.
14 And they have not made prayer to me in their hearts, but they make loud cries on their beds; they are cutting themselves for food and wine, they are turned against me.
And they cried not unto me in their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and new wine; they have turned aside from me.
15 Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.
I have indeed trained, I have strengthened their arms, but they imagine mischief against me.
16 They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.
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.
