Hosea 7
1 When I was about to deliver my people from captivity, When I would have healed Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, And the wickedness of Samaria; For they practise fraud, And the thief entereth in, And the band of robbers spoileth without.
當我著手醫治以色列時，厄弗辣因的罪孽就顯露出來，撒馬利亞的惡也顯露出來，因為他們行了詭詐的事：竊賊潛入內室，而外遇強盜；
2 And they think not in their hearts, That I remember all their wickedness. Now shall their doings encompass them; They are before my face.
但他們並不存心細想：我記住他們的一切惡行。現今他們的行為圍繞著他們，一一擺在我眼前。
3 With their wickedness they gladden the king, And with their falsehoods the princes; All of them are adulterers;
他們使君王喜歡，是出於惡意，使首領快樂，是出於詭詐。
4 They are as an oven heated by the baker; He ceaseth to stir the fire, Until the dough which he hath kneaded be leavened.
個個燃起了怒火，像一座火爐，伙夫暫停煽火，直到和好的麵團發酵。
5 On the feast-day of our king, the princes are sick with the heat of wine, And he stretcheth out his hand with revilers.
在他們君王的慶日上，當官長們酒勁發作，不能支持的時候，君王便和惡徒勾結起來。
6 For they make ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait; All night the baker sleepeth; In the morning it gloweth like a flaming fire.
他們的心雖因陰謀而焦慮得像火爐一樣，但他們的怒火卻整夜停息；一到早晨，卻又如烈火復燃。
7 They all glow as an oven; They have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen; And none among them calleth upon me.
個個像火爐一樣，熾燃起來，吞噬了他們的官長；他們的君王都倒斃了，但沒有一個向我呼求。
8 Ephraim hath mixed himself with the nations; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
厄弗辣因想混雜在列邦之中，厄弗辣因成了一塊尚未翻過的烤餅。
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, And he knoweth it not; Yea, gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, Yet he knoweth it not.
外邦人耗盡了她的力量，她尚不自覺，頭上已佈滿了白髮，她還不知曉。
10 The pride of Israel testifieth to his face; Yet do not they return to Jehovah their God, Nor seek him, for all this.
[雖然如此，以色列的驕傲仍呈現在自己面上，他們仍不歸依，仍不尋求上主，他們的天主]。
11 Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding; They call upon Egypt; they go to Assyria.
厄弗辣因像愚蠢無知的鴿子，一時求救埃及，一時又投奔亞述；
12 When they go, I will spread my net over them; As birds of heaven will I bring them down. I will chastise them, as hath been proclaimed in their congregation.
可是不論他們往何處去，我要向他們撒開我的羅網，使他們像天上的飛鳥跌下：一聽到他們聚齊待飛，我便將他們捕捉。
13 Woe to them, for they have wandered from me! Destruction upon them, for they have rebelled against me! Though I myself would redeem them, they speak falsely to me.
他們有禍了! 因為他們遠離離了我；他們必遭受毀滅，因為他們背叛了我。我原想拯救他們，但他們卻對我撒謊，
14 They cry not to me from their heart, But howl upon their beds; For corn and wine they assemble themselves; They rebel against me.
並沒有真心呼求我，只是在祭壇旁悲歎；為了五榖和新酒，仍自割己身，仍背叛我。
15 I have chastened them; I have also strengthened their arms; Yet do they devise evil against me.
我雖然加強了他們的手臂，然而他們仍圖謀邪惡反抗我。
16 They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes shall fall by the sword for the haughtiness of their tongues; This shall be their reproach in the land of Egypt.
他們歸向了虛無，變成了歪曲的弓；他們的首領因自己的狂言，必喪身刀下，且在埃及地為人恥笑。
