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 have brought healing to Israel, then was disclosed the iniquity of Ephraim, and the wicked doings of Samaria, for they have wrought falsehood, —when, a thief, would enter, a band roamed about, 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 say not to their own hearts, that, all their wickedness, I remember, now, have their doings, beset them about, right before my face, have they been done.
3 With their wickedness they make the king glad, and with their lies the princes.
By their wickedness, they gladden a king, and, by their flatteries, —rulers.
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 all, are adulterers, like an oven too hot for the baker, —who leaveth off stoking, after kneading the dough, till the whole be 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.
In the day of our king, the rulers, have made themselves ill, with the heat of wine, —he hath extended 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 ready, like an oven, their heart, by their lying in wait, —all the night, their baker sleepeth, in the morning, he, kindleth up as it were a blazing 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 all, become hot as an oven, and devour their judges, —all their kings, have fallen, there hath been none among them crying unto me.
8 Ephraim mixeth himself indeed among the nations: Ephraim is a cake not turned.
As for Ephraim! with the peoples, hath he been mingling himself, —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.
Foreigners have, eaten up, his strength, and, he, knoweth it not, —even gray hairs, are sprinkled upon him, and, he, knoweth it not.
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.
Therefore doth the Excellency of Israel, answer, to his face; yet have they not returned unto Yahweh their God, nor have they sought him, in spite of all this!
11 And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: Egypt did they call hither, to Assyria did they go.
So then, Ephraim, hath become, like a simple dove, having no understanding, on Egypt, have they called, to Assyria, have they gone,
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.
Whithersoever they go, I will spread over them my net, like a bird of the heavens, will I bring them down, I will chastise them, by the time the report can reach the flock of them.
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 taken flight from me, destruction to them! for they have transgressed against me, —when, I, would have ransomed them, then, they, spake—concerning me—falsehoods.
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.
Neither made they outcry unto me, in their heart, although they kept on howling upon their beds, over corn and new wine, they gathered themselves together, they rebelled against me.
15 And I desired to instruct and to strengthen their arms; yet would they devise evil against me.
When, I, had warned them, I strengthened their arm, —yet, against me, kept they on devising wickedness.
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 would return—not to him who is on high! They have become 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.
