Hosea 7
1 When I was willing to heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the malice of Samaria, for they had been manufacturing lies. And the thief steals from inside, the robber from outside.
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.
2 And, so that they may not say in their hearts that I am the one who has called to mind all of their wickedness: now their own inventions have encircled them. These things have happened in my presence.
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.
3 The king has rejoiced at their wickedness, and the leaders have rejoiced in their lies.
In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.
4 They are all adulterers; like an oven heating up before baking, the city rested a little before the leaven was mixed in, until the whole was leavened.
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.
5 On the day of our king, the leaders began to be mad with wine; he extended his hand with those who fabricate illusions.
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.
6 For they have used their heart like an oven, while he laid snares for them; he slept through the night baking them, and by morning he himself was heated like a burning fire.
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.
7 They have all become hot like an oven, and they have devoured their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one who calls to me among them.
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.
8 Ephraim himself has been mingled with the nations. Ephraim has become like bread, baked under ashes, that has not been turned over.
Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he did not know it. And grey hairs also have spread across him, and he is ignorant of it.
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.
10 And the pride of Israel will be brought low before his face, for they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all of this.
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.
11 And Ephraim has become like a pigeon that has been led astray, not having a heart; for they called upon Egypt, they went to the Assyrians.
And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 And when they will set out, I will spread my net over them. I will pull them down like the birds of the sky; I will cut them down in accordance with the reports of their meetings.
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.
13 Woe to them, for they have withdrawn from me. They will waste away because they have been dishonest with me. And I redeemed them, and they have spoken lies against me.
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.
14 And they have not cried out to me in their heart, but they howled on their beds. They have obsessed about wheat and wine; they have withdrawn from me.
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.
15 And I have educated them, and I have reinforced their arms; and they have imagined evil against me.
Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.
16 They returned so that they might be without a yoke. They have become like a deceitful bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of the madness of their words. This is their derision in the land of Egypt.
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.
