Hosea 7

1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers plunder outside.

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 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them on every side; they are before my face.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

Therefore 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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 rumour of their [coming] affliction.

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 nothing in the land of Egypt.