Hosea 7

1 When I was willing to heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the malice of Samaria, for they had been manufacturing lies. And the thief steals from inside, the robber from outside.

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 And, so that they may not say in their hearts that I am the one who has called to mind all of their wickedness: now their own inventions have encircled them. These things have happened in my presence.

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 The king has rejoiced at their wickedness, and the leaders have rejoiced in their lies.

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 heating up before baking, the city rested a little before the leaven was mixed in, until the whole was 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 leaders began to be mad with wine; he extended his hand with those who fabricate illusions.

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 they have used their heart like an oven, while he laid snares for them; he slept through the night baking them, and by morning he himself was heated like a burning 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 have all become hot like an oven, and they have devoured their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one who calls to me among them.

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 himself has been mingled with the nations. Ephraim has become like bread, baked under ashes, that has not been turned over.

Ephraim hath mixed himself with the nations; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he did not know it. And grey hairs also have spread across him, and he is ignorant of it.

Strangers have devoured his strength, And he knoweth it not; Yea, gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, Yet he knoweth it not.

10 And the pride of Israel will be brought low before his face, for they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all of 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 And Ephraim has become like a pigeon that has been led astray, not having a heart; for they called upon Egypt, they went to the Assyrians.

Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding; They call upon Egypt; they go to Assyria.

12 And when they will set out, I will spread my net over them. I will pull them down like the birds of the sky; I will cut them down in accordance with the reports of their meetings.

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 withdrawn from me. They will waste away because they have been dishonest with me. And I redeemed them, and they have spoken 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 And they have not cried out to me in their heart, but they howled on their beds. They have obsessed about wheat and wine; they have withdrawn 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 And I have educated them, and I have reinforced their arms; and they have imagined evil against me.

I have chastened them; I have also strengthened their arms; Yet do they devise evil against me.

16 They returned so that they might be without a yoke. They have become like a deceitful bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of the madness of their words. This is their derision 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.