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 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.
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 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.
3 With their evil they make the king glad, and by their lies the officials.
In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.
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 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.
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 day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.
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 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.
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 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.
8 Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples. Ephraim is a flat cake that has not been turned over.
Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; 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.
Men 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.
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.
And 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.
11 Ephraim is like a dove, gullible and without sense, calling out to Egypt, then flying to Assyria.
And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to 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, 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.
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.
May 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.
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.
And 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.
15 Though I trained them and strengthened their arms, they are now plotting evil against me.
Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs 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 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.
