Hosea 7

1 'When I give healing to Israel, Then revealed is the iniquity of Ephraim, And the wickedness of Samaria, For they have wrought falsehood, And a thief doth come in, Stript off hath a troop in the street,

when I would heal Israel, then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria, for they commit falsehood; and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers maketh a raid without.

2 And they do not say to their heart, [That] all their evil I have remembered, Now compassed them have their doings, Over-against My face they have been.

And let them not say to their heart — I remember all their wickedness; now their own doings have beset them about, they are before My face.

3 With their wickedness they make glad a king, And with their lies — princes.

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

4 All of them [are] adulterers, Like a burning oven of a baker, He ceaseth from stirring up after kneading the dough, till its leavening.

They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth to stir from the kneading of the dough until it be leavened.

5 A day of our king! Princes have polluted themselves [with] the poison of wine, He hath drawn out his hand with scorners.

On the day of our king the princes make him sick with the heat of wine, he stretcheth out his hand with scorners.

6 For they have drawn near, As an oven [is] their heart, In their lying in wait all the night sleep doth their baker, Morning! he is burning as a flaming fire.

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.

7 All of them are warm as an oven, And they have devoured their judges, All their kings have fallen, There is none calling unto Me among them.

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

8 Ephraim! among peoples he mixeth himself, Ephraim hath been a cake unturned.

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

9 Devoured have strangers his power, And he hath not known, Also old age hath sprinkled [itself] on him, And he hath not known.

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

10 And humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And they have not turned back unto Jehovah their God, Nor have they sought Him for all this.

And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; but they have not returned unto the LORD their God, nor sought Him, for all this.

11 And Ephraim is as a simple dove without heart, Egypt they called on — [to] Asshur they have gone.

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

12 When they go I spread over them My net, As the fowl of the heavens I bring them down, I chastise them as their company hath heard.

Even as they 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 been made to hear.

13 Woe to them, for they wandered from Me, Destruction to them, for they transgressed against Me, And I — I ransom them, and they have spoken lies against Me,

Woe unto them! for they have strayed from Me; Destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against Me; Shall I then redeem them, seeing they have spoken lies against Me?

14 And have not cried unto Me with their heart, but howl on their beds, For corn and new wine they assemble themselves, They turn aside against Me.

And they have not cried unto Me with their heart, though they wail upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and wine, they rebel against Me.

15 And I instructed — I strengthened their arms, And concerning Me they think evil!

Though I have trained and strengthened their arms, yet do they devise evil against Me.

16 They turn back — not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This [is] their derision in the land of Egypt!

They return, but not upwards; they are become 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.