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 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.
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 think not in their hearts, That I remember all their wickedness. Now shall their doings encompass them; They are before my face.
3 With their evil they make the king glad, and by their lies the officials.
With their wickedness they gladden the king, And with their falsehoods the princes; All of them are adulterers;
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 are as an oven heated by the baker; He ceaseth to stir the fire, Until the dough which he hath kneaded 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.
On the feast-day of our king, the princes are sick with the heat of wine, And he stretcheth out his hand with revilers.
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 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.
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 all glow as an oven; They have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen; And none among them calleth upon me.
8 Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples. Ephraim is a flat cake that has not been turned over.
Ephraim hath mixed himself with the nations; 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 sprinkled upon him, Yet 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.
The pride of Israel testifieth to his face; Yet do not they 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.
Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding; They call upon 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 over them; As birds of heaven will I bring them down. I will chastise them, as hath been proclaimed in their congregation.
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 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.
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.
They cry not to me from their heart, But howl upon their beds; For corn and wine they assemble themselves; They rebel against me.
15 Though I trained them and strengthened their arms, they are now plotting evil against me.
I have chastened them; I have also strengthened their arms; Yet do they devise evil 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 haughtiness of their tongues; This shall be their reproach in the land of Egypt.
