Hosea 7
1 when I would heal Israel, then Ephrain’s guilt is revealed, and Samaria’s crimes are seen, how they practise fraud and the thief enters in, while outside bandits plunder.
When I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim will be exposed, as well as the crimes of Samaria. For they practice deceit and thieves break in; bandits raid in the streets.
2 But it never crosses their minds that I remember their wickedness. Now their misdeeds surround them, they are always before my face.
But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.
3 Their wickedness amuses the king, and their lying gladdens the princes,
They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
4 since they are all of them adulterers. Their desire to do evil burns like an oven heated by the baker, so hot that he need not stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it rises.
They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough.
5 On our king’s festival day, the princes are flushed with fever from wine. He stretched forth his hand with the contemptuous,
The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.
6 for like an oven their heart burns with treachery, all night their anger smoulders, in the morning it blazes into a flame of fire.
For they prepare their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7 All of them glow like an oven, they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen. There is none among them who calls to me.
All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings fall; not one of them calls upon Me.
8 Ephraim – he lets himself be mixed among the peoples, Ephraim – he has become a cake unturned.
Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, but he does not know it. His hair is sprinkled with grey, but he does not notice.
Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not know.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them yet they do not return to the Lord their God, and in all this they do not seek him.
Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him.
11 Ephraim is like a simple, silly dove: to Egypt they call, after Assyria they go,
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove— calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.
12 wherever they turn I will spread my net over them, like birds of the sky I will bring them down, I will catch them when I hear them gathering.
As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.
13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have been untrue to me. Although it was I who redeemed them, they speak lies about me.
Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me! Though I would redeem them, they speak lies against Me.
14 They have never cried to me with their hearts, but they are always wailing on their beds. They gather to beg for corn and new wine, but they turn away from me.
They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.
15 Although it was I who trained and strengthened their arms, concerning me they plan only evil.
Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.
16 They turn away from the Most High. They have become like a bow that swerves. Their princes will fall by the sword, because of the insolence of their tongues. The land of Egypt will mock them.
They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.
