Hosea 7
1 Whenever I want to heal Israel, the sin of Ephraim is exposed, as well as the evil deeds of Samaria, for they practice deceit; a thief comes in, and a marauding band attacks in the street.
When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they practise falsehood; and the thief entereth in, [and] the troop of robbers assaileth without.
2 They do not realize in their hearts that I remember all their evil deeds. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.
And they say not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now do their own doings encompass them; they are before my face.
3 With their evil they make the king glad, and by their lies the officials.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker, who ceases to stir the fire from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
They all practise adultery, as an oven heated by the baker: he ceaseth from stirring [the fire] after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5 On the day of our king the officials made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He reached out with his hand to those who were mocking.
In the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine: he stretched out his hand to scorners.
6 For with hearts like an oven, they devise their deceitful plans. Their anger smolders all night; in the morning it burns high like a flaming fire.
For they have applied their heart like an oven to their lying in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth like a flaming fire.
7 They all are as hot as an oven, and they devour those who rule over them. All their kings have fallen; none of them calls on me.
They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8 Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples. Ephraim is a flat cake that has not been turned over.
Ephraim, he mixeth himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Foreigners have devoured his strength, but he does not know it. Gray hairs are sprinkled on him, but he does not know it.
Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth [it] not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth [it] not.
10 The pride of Israel testifies against him; however, they have not returned to Yahweh their God, nor have they sought him, in spite of all this.
And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to Jehovah their God, nor seek him for all this.
11 Ephraim is like a dove, gullible and without sense, calling out to Egypt, then flying to Assyria.
And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 When they go, I will spread my net over them, I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will punish them in their flocking together.
When they go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowl of the heavens; I will chastise them, according as their assembly hath heard.
13 Woe to them! For they have strayed from me. Devastation is coming to them! They have rebelled against me! I would have rescued them, but they spoke lies against me.
Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against me. And I would redeem them; but they speak lies against me.
14 They have not cried to me with all their heart, but they wail on their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine, and they turn away from me.
And they cried not unto me in their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and new wine; they have turned aside from me.
15 Though I trained them and strengthened their arms, they are now plotting evil against me.
I have indeed trained, I have strengthened their arms, but they imagine mischief against me.
16 They return, but they do not return to me, the Most High. They are like a slack bow. Their officials will fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongues. This will become their mockery in the land of Egypt.
They return, [but] not to the [Most] High: they are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
