(A)when I would heal Israel,
    the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed,
    and the evil deeds of (B)Samaria,
for (C)they deal falsely;
    the thief breaks in,
    and the bandits raid outside.
But they do not consider
    that (D)I remember all their evil.
Now (E)their deeds surround them;
    (F)they are before my face.
By their evil (G)they make (H)the king glad,
    and the princes by their treachery.
(I)They are all adulterers;
    they are like a heated oven
whose baker ceases to stir the fire,
    from the kneading of the dough
    until it is leavened.
On the day of (J)our king, the princes
    became sick with the heat of wine;
    he stretched out his hand with mockers.
For with hearts like an oven (K)they approach their intrigue;
    all night their anger smolders;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven,
    and they devour their rulers.
All (L)their kings (M)have fallen,
    and none of them calls upon me.

Ephraim (N)mixes himself with the peoples;
    Ephraim is a cake not turned.
(O)Strangers devour his strength,
    and (P)he knows it not;
gray hairs are sprinkled upon him,
    and (Q)he knows it not.
10 (R)The pride of Israel testifies to his face;[a]
    (S)yet they do not return to the Lord their God,
    nor seek him, for all this.

11 Ephraim is like a dove,
    (T)silly and without sense,
    calling to (U)Egypt, going to (V)Assyria.
12 As they go, (W)I will spread over them my net;
    I will bring them down like birds of the heavens;
    (X)I will discipline them (Y)according to the report made to their congregation.
13 (Z)Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
    Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
(AA)I would redeem them,
    but (AB)they speak lies against me.

14 (AC)They do not cry to me from the heart,
    but (AD)they wail upon their beds;
for grain and wine they gash themselves;
    they rebel against me.
15 Although (AE)I trained and strengthened their arms,
    yet they devise evil against me.
16 They (AF)return, but not upward;[b]
    they are (AG)like a treacherous bow;
their princes shall fall by the sword
    because of (AH)the insolence of their tongue.
This shall be their derision (AI)in the land of Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:10 Or in his presence
  2. Hosea 7:16 Or to the Most High

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 spoileth without.

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

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

They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

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

For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

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

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

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

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.

13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

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

Ephraim’s Sin

When I would heal Israel,
The sin (guilt) of Ephraim is uncovered,
And the wickedness of [a]Samaria,
Because they practice false dealing;
The thief enters,
Bandits ravage and raid outside.

But they do not consider in their hearts (minds)
That I remember [always] all their wickedness.
Now their deeds surround and entangle them;
They are before My face.

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

They are all adulterers;
Like the heat of an oven
When the baker ceases to stir the fire, [their passion smolders]
From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.

On the [special] day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine;
The king stretched out his hand [in association] with scoffers (lawless people).

As they approach their plotting,
Their mind burns [with intrigue] like an oven [while they lie in wait].
Their anger smolders all night;
In the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

They are all hot like an oven
And they consume their judges (rulers);
All their kings have fallen.
There is no one among them who calls to Me.


Ephraim mixes himself with the [Gentile] nations [seeking favor with one country, then another];
Ephraim is a cake not turned [worthless; ready to be thrown away].

Strangers have devoured his strength,
Yet he does not know it;
Gray hairs are sprinkled on him,
Yet he does not know.
10 
Though the pride of Israel testifies against him,
Yet they do not return [in repentance] to the Lord their God,
Nor seek nor search for nor desire Him [as essential] in spite of all this.
11 
Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without heart or good sense;
They call to Egypt [for help], they go to Assyria.
12 
When they go, I will spread My net over them;
I will bring them down like birds of the heavens [into Assyrian captivity].
I will chastise them in accordance with the proclamation (prophecy) to their congregation.(A)
13 
Woe (judgment is coming) to them, for they have wandered away from Me!
Devastation is theirs, because they have rebelled and trespassed against Me!
I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.
14 
They do not cry out to Me from their heart
When they wail on their beds [in unbelieving despair];
For the sake of grain and new wine they [b]assemble themselves [as if worshiping Baal];
They rebel against Me.
15 
Although I trained and strengthened their arms [for victory over their enemies],
Yet they devise evil against Me.
16 
They turn, but they do not turn upward to the Most High.
They are like a poorly crafted bow [that misses the mark];
Their princes shall fall by the sword
Because of the insolence of their tongue.
This will be cause for their mockery and disdain in the land of Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:1 Samaria became the capital city of the Kingdom of Israel (the ten northern tribes) during the reign of King Omri (see 1 Kin 16:24).
  2. Hosea 7:14 Or with Greek and many ancient mss gash themselves.