Hosea 7

1 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.

Should I desire to heal Israel, then would the iniquity of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria be laid open; for they commit falsehood; and the thief entereth [secretly], and the troop of robbers is spread abroad without.

2 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.

And they never think in their own heart that I remember all their wickedness: though now their own doings are all round about them; before my face are they present.

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

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

4 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.

They are all adulterers, as an oven well heated by the baker: [when] he that stirreth [the fire] resteth awhile from kneading the dough, until it be leavened.

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

On the day of our king's [entering on his rule] the princes are made sick with the fumes of wine: [the king] joineth his hand with scorners.

6 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.

For they make ready their heart for their tricky deeds, like the oven, the baker whereof sleepeth all the night, while in the morning it gloweth as a flaming fire.

7 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.

They are all hot as an oven, they devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

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

Ephraim mixeth himself indeed among the nations: Ephraim is a cake not turned.

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

Strangers devour his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are sprinkled about on his [head], yet he knoweth not.

10 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.

And humbled was the pride of Israel before his own face; but they did not return to the Lord their God, and sought him not, notwithstanding all this.

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

And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: Egypt did they call hither, to Assyria did they go.

12 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.

As they go, so will I spread out my net over them; as the fowls of the heaven will I bring them down: I will chastise them, as it hath been announced to their congregation.

13 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.

Woe unto them! for they have fled from me; destruction shall come unto them, because they have transgressed against me: though I desired to redeem them, they yet spoke lies against me.

14 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.

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

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

And I desired to instruct and to strengthen their arms; yet would they devise evil against me.

16 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.

They never return upward: they are like a deceitful bow: by the sword shall their princes fall because of the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.