Hosea 7

1When my desire was for the fate of my people to be changed and to make Israel well, then the sin of Ephraim was made clear, and the evil-doing of Samaria; for their ways are false, and the thief comes into the house, while the band of outlaws takes property by force in the streets.

1When 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.

2And they do not say to themselves that I keep in mind all their sin; now their evil acts come round them on every side; they are before my face.

2And they say not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now do their own doings encompass them; they are before my face.

3In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.

3They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4They are all untrue; they are like a burning oven; the bread-maker does not make up the fire from the time when the paste is mixed till it is leavened.

4They 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.

5On the day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.

5In the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine: he stretched out his hand to scorners.

6For they have made their hearts ready like an oven, while they are waiting secretly; their wrath is sleeping all night; in the morning it is burning like a flaming fire.

6For 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.

7They are all heated like an oven, and they put an end to their judges; all their kings have been made low; not one among them makes prayer to me.

7They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

8Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

8Ephraim, he mixeth himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9Men from other lands have made waste his strength, and he is not conscious of it; grey hairs have come on him here and there, and he has no knowledge of it.

9Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth [it] not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth [it] not.

10And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; but for all this, they have not gone back to the Lord their God, or made search for him.

10And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to Jehovah theirGod, nor seek him for all this.

11And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

11And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12When they go, my net will be stretched out over them; I will take them like the birds of heaven, I will give them punishment, I will take them away in the net for their sin.

12When 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.

13May trouble be theirs! for they have gone far away from me; and destruction, for they have been sinning against me; I was ready to be their saviour, but they said false words against me.

13Woe 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.

14And they have not made prayer to me in their hearts, but they make loud cries on their beds; they are cutting themselves for food and wine, they are turned against me.

14And 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.

15Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.

15I have indeed trained, I have strengthened their arms, but they imagine mischief against me.

16They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.

16They 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.