Hosea 7
1 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.
When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. For they commit falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the troop of robbers ravages outside.
2 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.
And they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own doings have surrounded them; they are before my face.
3 With their wickedness they make the king glad, and with their lies the princes.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the rulers with their lies.
4 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.
They are all adulterers. They are as an oven heated by the baker. He ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.
5 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.
On the day of our king the rulers made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He stretched out his hand with scoffers.
6 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.
For they have made their heart ready like an oven, while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.
7 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.
They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings are fallen. There is none among those who call to me.
8 Ephraim mixeth himself indeed among the nations: Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Ephraim, he mixes himself among the peoples. Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Strangers devour his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are sprinkled about on his [head], yet he knoweth not.
Strangers have devoured his strength, and he does not know. Yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he does not know.
10 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.
And the pride of Israel testifies to his face. Yet they have not returned to Jehovah their God, nor sought him for all this.
11 And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: Egypt did they call hither, to Assyria did they go.
And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.
12 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.
When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them. I will bring them down as the birds of the heavens. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.
13 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.
Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14 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.
And they have not cried to me with their heart, but they howl upon their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and new wine. They rebel against me.
15 And I desired to instruct and to strengthen their arms; yet would they devise evil against me.
Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet they devise mischief against me.
16 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.
They return, but not to him on high. They are like a deceitful bow. Their rulers shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
