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 is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria, for they commit falsehood; and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers maketh a raid 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 let them not say to their heart — I remember all their wickedness; now their own doings have beset them about, 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 are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth to stir from the kneading of 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.
On the day of our king the princes make him sick with the heat of wine, he stretcheth 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.
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 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 become 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; but they have not returned unto the LORD their God, nor sought 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 unto 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.
Even as they 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 been made to hear.
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 strayed from Me; Destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against Me; Shall I then redeem them, seeing 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 unto Me with their heart, though they wail upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and wine, they rebel against Me.
15 Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.
Though I have trained and strengthened their arms, yet do they devise 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 return, but not upwards; they are become 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.
