Hosea 7

1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was disclosed, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, [and] the troop of robbers strippeth without.

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.

2 And they consider not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them around; they are before my face.

But it never crosses their minds that I remember their wickedness. Now their misdeeds surround them, they are always before my face.

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

Their wickedness amuses the king, and their lying gladdens the princes,

4 They [are] all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, [who] ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it is leavened.

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.

5 In the day of our king the princes have made [him] sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

On our king’s festival day, the princes are flushed with fever from wine. He stretched forth his hand with the contemptuous,

6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

for like an oven their heart burns with treachery, all night their anger smoulders, in the morning it blazes into a flame of fire.

7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: [there is] none among them that calleth to me.

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.

8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

Ephraim – he lets himself be mixed among the peoples, Ephraim – he has become a cake unturned.

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

Strangers have devoured his strength, but he does not know it. His hair is sprinkled with grey, but he does not notice.

10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

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.

11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

Ephraim is like a simple, silly dove: to Egypt they call, after Assyria they go,

12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.

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.

13 Woe to them! for they have fled from me: destruction to them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

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.

14 And they have not cried to me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, [and] they rebel against me.

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.

15 Though I have bound [and] strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.

Although it was I who trained and strengthened their arms, concerning me they plan only evil.

16 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.

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.