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 have healed Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria, for they have committed falsehood, and the thief is come in to steal, the robber is 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 lest they may say in their hearts, that I remember all their wickedness: their own devices now have beset them about, they have been done before my face.

3 In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.

They have made 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 are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker: the city rested a little from the mingling of the leaven, till the whole was 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.

The day of our king, the princes began to be mad with wine: he stretched out his hand with 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.

Because they have applied their heart like an oven, when he laid snares for them: he slept all the night baking them, in the morning he himself was heated as 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 were all heated like an oven, and have devoured their judges: all their kings have fallen: there is none amongst them that calleth unto me.

8 Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

Ephraim himself is mixed among the nations: Ephraim is become as bread baked under the ashes, that is 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 knew it not: yea, grey hairs also are spread about upon him, and he is ignorant of it.

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 shall be humbled before his face: and they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all these.

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 as a dove that is decoyed, not having a heart: they called upon Egypt, they went to the Assyrians.

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.

And when they shall go, I will spread my net upon them: I will bring them down as the fowl of the air, I will strike them as their congregation 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 to them, for they have departed from me: they shall be wasted because they have transgressed against me: and I redeemed them: and they have spoken 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 have not cried to me with their heart, but they howled in their beds: they have thought upon wheat and wine, they are departed from me.

15 Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.

And I have chastised them, and strengthened their arms: and they have imagined evil 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 returned, that they might be without yoke: they became like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue. This is their derision in the land of Egypt.