when I heal Israel,(A)
the iniquity of Ephraim(B) and the crimes of Samaria(C)
will be exposed.
For they practice fraud;(D)
a thief breaks in;
a raiding party pillages outside.(E)
But they never consider that I remember all their evil.(F)
Now their actions are all around them;(G)
they are right in front of my face.

Israel’s Corruption

They please the king with their evil,(H)
the princes with their lies.(I)

All of them commit adultery;(J)
they are like an oven heated by a baker
who stops stirring the fire
from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
On the day of our king,
the princes are sick with the heat of wine(K)
there is a conspiracy with traitors.[a]
For they—their hearts like an oven—
draw him into their oven.
Their anger smolders all night;
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

All of them are as hot as an oven,(L)
and they consume their rulers.(M)
All their kings fall;
not one of them calls on me.[b]
Ephraim has allowed himself to get mixed up with the nations.
Ephraim is unturned bread baked on a griddle.
Foreigners consume his strength,(N)
but he does not notice.(O)
Even his hair is streaked with gray,
but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them,[c](P)
yet they do not return to the Lord their God,(Q)
and for all this, they do not seek him.

11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove;(R)
they call to Egypt,(S) and they go to Assyria.(T)
12 As they are going, I will spread my net over them;(U)
I will bring them down like birds of the sky.
I will discipline them in accordance
with the news that reaches[d] their assembly.

The Lord’s Second Lament

13 Woe to them,(V) for they fled from me;(W)
destruction to them, for they rebelled against me!
Though I want to redeem them,(X)
they speak lies against me.
14 They do not cry to me from their hearts;
rather, they wail on their beds.
They slash themselves[e](Y) for grain and new wine;(Z)
they turn away from me.
15 I trained and strengthened their arms,(AA)
but they plot evil against me.(AB)
16 They turn, but not to what is above;[f]
they are like a faulty bow.(AC)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
because of their insolent tongue.(AD)
They will be ridiculed for this in the land of Egypt.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. 7:5 Lit wine—he stretches out his hand to scorners; Hb obscure
  2. 7:3–7 These vv. may refer to a king’s assassination; Hb obscure.
  3. 7:10 Lit against his face
  4. 7:12 Lit news to
  5. 7:14 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read They stay
  6. 7:16 Some emend to turn to what is useless

when I would heal Israel,
    the corruption of Ephraim is revealed,
    and the wicked deeds of Samaria,
for they deal falsely;
    the thief breaks in,
    and the bandits raid outside.(A)
But they do not consider
    that I remember all their wickedness.
Now their deeds surround them;
    they are before my face.(B)
By their wickedness they make the king glad,
    and the officials by their treachery.
They are all adulterers;
    they are like a heated oven
whose baker does not need to stir the fire
    from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.(C)
On the day of our king the officials
    became sick with the heat of wine;
    he stretched out his hand with mockers.(D)
For they are kindled[a] like an oven; their heart burns within them;
    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 their kings have fallen;
    none of them calls upon me.(E)

Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples;
    Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Foreigners devour his strength,
    but he does not know it;
gray hairs are sprinkled upon him,
    but he does not know it.(F)
10 Israel’s pride testifies against[b] him;
    yet they do not return to the Lord their God
    or seek him, for all this.(G)

Futile Reliance on the Nations

11 Ephraim has become like a dove,
    silly and without sense;
    they call upon Egypt, they go to Assyria.(H)
12 As they go, I will cast my net over them;
    I will bring them down like birds of the air;
    I will discipline them according to the report made to their assembly.[c](I)
13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
    Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
I would redeem them,
    but they speak lies against me.(J)

14 They do not cry to me from the heart,
    but they wail upon their beds;
they gash themselves for grain and wine;
    they rebel against me.(K)
15 It was I who trained and strengthened their arms,
    yet they plot evil against me.(L)
16 They turn to that which does not profit;[d]
    they have become like a defective bow;
their officials shall fall by the sword
    because of the rage of their tongue.
So much for their babbling in the land of Egypt.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 7.6 Gk Syr: Heb brought near
  2. 7.10 Or humbles
  3. 7.12 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 7.16 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain