Hosea 7

Hosea 7

¹When I would heal Israel,

then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered,

also the wickedness of Samaria;

for they commit falsehood,

and the thief enters in,

and the gang of robbers ravages outside.

²They don’t consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness.

Now their own deeds have engulfed them.

They are before my face.

³They make the king glad with their wickedness,

and the princes with their lies.

⁴They are all adulterers.

They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring,

from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

⁵On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine.

He joined his hand with mockers.

⁶For they have prepared their heart like an oven,

while they lie in wait.

Their baker sleeps all the night.

In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

⁷They are all hot as an oven,

and devour their judges.

All their kings have fallen.

There is no one among them who calls to me.

⁸Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations.

Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.

⁹Strangers have devoured his strength,

and he doesn’t realize it.

Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him,

and he doesn’t realize it.

¹⁰The pride of Israel testifies to his face;

yet they haven’t returned to Yahweh their God,

nor sought him, for all this.

¹¹“Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding.

They call to Egypt.

They go to Assyria.

¹²When they go, I will spread my net on them.

I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.

I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.

¹³Woe to them!

For they have wandered from me.

Destruction to them!

For they have trespassed against me.

Though I would redeem them,

yet they have spoken lies against me.

¹⁴They haven’t cried to me with their heart,

but they howl on their beds.

They assemble themselves for grain and new wine.

They turn away from me.

¹⁵Though I have taught and strengthened their arms,

yet they plot evil against me.

¹⁶They return, but not to the Most High.

They are like a faulty bow.

Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue.

This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.