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Israel’s Foreign Politics

Ephraim is mixed with the nations,[a]
    Ephraim is an unturned cake.
Strangers have consumed his strength,
    but he does not know it;(A)
Gray hairs are strewn on his head,
    but he takes no notice of it.
10 The arrogance of Israel bears witness against him;
    yet they do not return to the Lord, their God,
    nor seek him, despite all this.(B)
11 Ephraim is like a dove,
    silly and senseless;
They call upon Egypt,
    they go to Assyria.
12 When they go I will spread my net around them,
    like birds in the air I will bring them down.(C)
    I will chastise them when I hear of their assembly.
13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
    Ruin to them, for they have rebelled against me!
Though I wished to redeem them,
    they spoke lies against me.
14 They have not cried to me from their hearts
    when they wailed upon their beds;
For wheat and wine they lacerated themselves;[b]
    they rebelled against me.
15 Though I trained and strengthened their arms,
    yet they devised evil against me.
16 They have again become useless,
    they have been like a treacherous bow.(D)
Their princes shall fall by the sword
    because of the insolence of their tongues;
    thus they shall be mocked in the land of Egypt.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:8 Is mixed with the nations: the people reject exclusive allegiance to the Lord, and they now try to find their salvation in alliances with foreign nations. An unturned cake: burnt on one side, but not baked at all on the other, and thus worthless.
  2. 7:14 Lacerated themselves: a ritual to obtain a good harvest from Baal (2:7–10; 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5). This practice was forbidden (Lv 19:28; Dt 14:1).

“Ephraim mixes(A) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
Foreigners sap his strength,(B)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,(C)
    but despite all this
he does not return(D) to the Lord his God
    or search(E) for him.

11 “Ephraim is like a dove,(F)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,(G)
    now turning to Assyria.(H)
12 When they go, I will throw my net(I) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
13 Woe(J) to them,
    because they have strayed(K) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me(L) falsely.(M)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts(N)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,[a] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,(O)
    but they turn away from me.(P)
15 I trained(Q) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil(R) against me.
16 They do not turn to the Most High;(S)
    they are like a faulty bow.(T)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent(U) words.
For this they will be ridiculed(V)
    in the land of Egypt.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together