Hosea 7

1 when I heal Israel, Ephraim's sins will be exposed, together with the evil actions of Samaria. They deal in lies; they are thieves who break into homes and rob people on the outside.

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 comes in, and the troop of robbers spoils without.

2 But they don't realize that I remember all of their wickedness. Their sins surround them and are always before me.

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 make their king happy with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

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

4 All of them are adulterers, burning with lust like an oven whose fire stays hot, even though it is not tended by the baker, having left the dough to rise after kneading.

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

5 On the king's birthday the princes drink so much they are sick, while he joins in with those who mock.

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

6 Their minds are fired up like an oven; they go to him with their plots. All through the night their anger burns; in the morning it blazes out uncontrollably.

For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleeps all the night; in the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

7 All of them are as hot as a burning oven, and they exhaust their leaders. All of their kings have fallen, and not one of them calls 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 calls to me.

8 Ephraim mixes with the foreign nations; he is as useless as half-baked bread!

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

9 Foreigners drain his strength, and he doesn't even realize it. His hair is turning grey and he doesn't even notice.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knows it not: yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he knows not.

10 Israel's pride testifies against him, but for all of this he still does not return to the Lord their God or look for him.

And the pride of Israel testifies to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

11 Ephraim is like a dove, foolish and without sense—calling to Egypt, then going to Assyria.

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

12 When they go I will throw my net over them; I will bring them down like wild birds. When I hear them flocking together I will punish them.

When they shall go, I will spread my net on them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.

13 What disaster is coming to them because they have strayed from me! Destruction is coming to them because they have rebelled against me! I wish I could redeem them, but they tell lies about me.

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

14 They do not cry out to me with sincere minds; instead they lie on their beds howling. They assemble together and gash themselves to gain grain and new wine, but they turn away from me.

And they have not cried to me with their heart, when they howled on their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

15 I myself trained them and made them strong, but now they plot evil against me.

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

16 They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a useless bow. Their leaders will be killed by the sword because of their cursing. Because of this they will be ridiculed in 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.