הושע 7

1 כרפאי לישראל ונגלה עון אפרים ורעות שמרון--כי פעלו שקר וגנב יבוא פשט גדוד בחוץ

When I have healed Israel, then shall the iniquity of Ephraim be revealed, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they have wrought falsehood: and a thief shall come in to him, [even] a robber spoiling in his way;

2 ובל יאמרו ללבבם כל רעתם זכרתי עתה סבבום מעלליהם נגד פני היו

that they may concert together as [men] singing in their heart: I remember all their wickedness: now have their own counsels compassed them about; they came before my face.

3 ברעתם ישמחו מלך ובכחשיהם שרים

They gladdened kings with their wickedness, and princes with their lies.

4 כלם מנאפים--כמו תנור בערה מאפה ישבות מעיר מלוש בצק עד חמצתו

They are all adulterers, as an oven glowing with flame for hot-baking, on account of the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

5 יום מלכנו החלו שרים חמת מיין משך ידו את לצצים

[In] the days of our kings, the princes began to be inflamed with wine: he stretched out his hand with pestilent fellows.

6 כי קרבו כתנור לבם בארבם כל הלילה ישן אפהם--בקר הוא בער כאש להבה

Wherefore their hearts are inflamed as an oven, while they rage all the night: Ephraim is satisfied with sleep; the morning is come; he is burnt up as a flame of fire.

7 כלם יחמו כתנור ואכלו את שפטיהם כל מלכיהם נפלו אין קרא בהם אלי

They are all heated like an oven, and have devoured their judges: all their kings are fallen; there was not among them one that called on me.

8 אפרים בעמים הוא יתבולל אפרים היה עגה בלי הפוכה

Ephraim is mixed among his people; Ephraim became a cake not turned.

9 אכלו זרים כחו והוא לא ידע גם שיבה זרקה בו והוא לא ידע

Strangers devoured his strength, and he knew [it] not; and grey hairs came upon him, and he knew [it] not.

10 וענה גאון ישראל בפניו ולא שבו אל יהוה אלהיהם ולא בקשהו בכל זאת

And the pride of Israel shall be brought down before his face: yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, neither have they diligently sought him for all this.

11 ויהי אפרים כיונה פותה אין לב מצרים קראו אשור הלכו

And Ephraim was as a silly dove, not having a heart: he called to Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians.

12 כאשר ילכו אפרוש עליהם רשתי--כעוף השמים אורידם איסירם כשמע לעדתם

Whenever they shall go, I will cast my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the sky, I will chasten them with the rumor of their [coming] affliction.

13 אוי להם כי נדדו ממני שד להם כי פשעו בי ואנכי אפדם--והמה דברו עלי כזבים

Woe to them! for they have started aside from me: they are cowards; for they have sinned against me: yet I redeemed them, but they spoke falsehoods against me.

14 ולא זעקו אלי בלבם כי יילילו על משכבותם על דגן ותירוש יתגוררו יסורו בי

And their hearts did not cry to me, but they howled on their beds: they pined for oil and wine.

15 ואני יסרתי חזקתי זרועתם ואלי יחשבו רע

They were instructed by me, and I strengthened their arms; and they devised evils against me.

16 ישובו לא על היו כקשת רמיה--יפלו בחרב שריהם מזעם לשונם זו לעגם בארץ מצרים

They turned aside to that which is not, they became as a bent bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, by reason of the unbridled state of their tongue: this is their setting at nought in the land of Egypt.