Hosea 7

1 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.

when I would heal Israel, then Ephrain’s guilt is revealed, and Samaria’s crimes are seen, how they practise fraud and the thief enters in, while outside bandits plunder.

2 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.

But it never crosses their minds that I remember their wickedness. Now their misdeeds surround them, they are always before my face.

3 They have made the king glad with their wickedness: and the princes with their lies.

Their wickedness amuses the king, and their lying gladdens the princes,

4 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.

since they are all of them adulterers. Their desire to do evil burns like an oven heated by the baker, so hot that he need not stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it rises.

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

On our king’s festival day, the princes are flushed with fever from wine. He stretched forth his hand with the contemptuous,

6 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.

for like an oven their heart burns with treachery, all night their anger smolders, in the morning it blazes into a flame of fire.

7 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.

All of them glow like an oven, they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen. There is none among them who calls to me.

8 Ephraim himself is mixed among the nations: Ephraim is become as bread baked under the ashes, that is not turned.

Ephraim – he lets himself be mixed among the peoples, Ephraim – he has become a cake unturned.

9 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.

Strangers have devoured his strength, but he does not know it. His hair is sprinkled with grey, but he does not notice.

10 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.

Israel’s arrogance testifies against them yet they do not return to the Lord their God, and in all this they do not seek him.

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

Ephraim is like a simple, silly dove: to Egypt they call, after Assyria they go,

12 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.

wherever they turn I will spread my net over them, like birds of the sky I will bring them down, I will catch them when I hear them gathering.

13 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.

Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have been untrue to me. Although it was I who redeemed them, they speak lies about me.

14 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.

They have never cried to me with their hearts, but they are always wailing on their beds. They gather to beg for corn and new wine, but they turn away from me.

15 And I have chastised them, and strengthened their arms: and they have imagined evil against me.

Although it was I who trained and strengthened their arms, concerning me they plan only evil.

16 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.

They turn away from the Most High. They have become like a bow that swerves. Their princes will fall by the sword, because of the insolence of their tongues. The land of Egypt will mock them.