Hosea 7

1 When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, also the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the gang of robbers ravages outside.

'When I give healing to Israel, Then revealed is the iniquity of Ephraim, And the wickedness of Samaria, For they have wrought falsehood, And a thief doth come in, Stript off hath a troop in the street,

2 They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have engulfed them. They are before my face.

And they do not say to their heart, [That] all their evil I have remembered, Now compassed them have their doings, Over-against My face they have been.

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

With their wickedness they make glad a king, And with their lies — princes.

4 They are all adulterers. They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring, from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

All of them [are] adulterers, Like a burning oven of a baker, He ceaseth from stirring up after kneading the dough, till its leavening.

5 On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers.

A day of our king! Princes have polluted themselves [with] the poison of wine, He hath drawn out his hand with scorners.

6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

For they have drawn near, As an oven [is] their heart, In their lying in wait all the night sleep doth their baker, Morning! he is burning as a flaming fire.

7 They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me.

All of them are warm as an oven, And they have devoured their judges, All their kings have fallen, There is none calling unto Me among them.

8 Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.

Ephraim! among peoples he mixeth himself, Ephraim hath been a cake unturned.

9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he doesn't realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, and he doesn't realize it.

Devoured have strangers his power, And he hath not known, Also old age hath sprinkled [itself] on him, And he hath not known.

10 The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they haven't returned to YHWH their God, nor sought him, for all this.

And humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And they have not turned back unto Jehovah their God, Nor have they sought Him for all this.

11 "Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

And Ephraim is as a simple dove without heart, Egypt they called on — [to] Asshur they have gone.

12 When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.

When they go I spread over them My net, As the fowl of the heavens I bring them down, I chastise them as their company hath heard.

13 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.

Woe to them, for they wandered from Me, Destruction to them, for they transgressed against Me, And I — I ransom them, and they have spoken lies against Me,

14 They haven't cried to me with their heart, but they wail on their beds. They cut themselves for grain and new wine. They turn away from me.

And have not cried unto Me with their heart, but howl on their beds, For corn and new wine they assemble themselves, They turn aside against Me.

15 Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me.

And I instructed — I strengthened their arms, And concerning Me they think evil!

16 They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.

They turn back — not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This [is] their derision in the land of Egypt!