Osee 7

1 When I have healed Israel, then shall the iniquity of Ephraim be revealed, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they have wrought falsehood: and a thief shall come in to him, [even] a robber spoiling in his way;

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 spoileth without.

2 that they may concert together as [men] singing in their heart: I remember all their wickedness: now have their own counsels compassed them about; they came before my face.

And they consider not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

3 They gladdened kings with their wickedness, and princes with their lies.

They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, as an oven glowing with flame for hot-baking, on account of the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

They [are] all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, [who] ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

5 [In] the days of our kings, the princes began to be inflamed with wine: he stretched out his hand with pestilent fellows.

In the day of our king the princes have made [him] sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

6 Therefore their hearts are inflamed as an oven, while they rage all the night: Ephraim is satisfied with sleep; the morning is come; he is burnt up as a flame of fire.

For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles 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 have devoured their judges: all their kings are fallen; there was not amongst them one that called on 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 unto me.

8 Ephraim is mixed amongst his people; Ephraim became a cake not turned.

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9 Strangers devoured his strength, and he knew [it] not; and grey hairs came upon him, and he knew [it] not.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth [it] not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

10 And the pride of Israel shall be brought down before his face: yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, neither have they diligently sought him for all this.

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 And Ephraim was as a silly dove, not having a heart: he called to Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians.

Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12 Whenever they shall go, I will cast my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the sky, I will chasten them with the rumour of their [coming] affliction.

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 started aside from me: they are cowards; for they have sinned against me: yet I redeemed them, but they spoke falsehoods against me.

Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 And their hearts did not cry to me, but they howled on their beds: they pined for oil and wine.

And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, [and] they rebel against me.

15 They were instructed by me, and I strengthened their arms; and they devised evils against me.

Though I have bound [and] strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.

16 They turned aside to that which is not, they became as a bent bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, by reason of the unbridled state of their tongue: this is their setting at nothing 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.