Hosea 7
Expanded Bible
7 When I heal Israel,
Israel’s sin will ·go away [or be revealed/exposed],
and so will Samaria’s evil.
“They ·cheat a lot [practice deceit; commit fraud]!
Thieves ·break into houses [L come in],
and ·robbers [gangs] ·are in the streets [raid/pillage outside].
2 ·It never enters their minds [L They never say in their hearts]
that I remember all their evil deeds.
The bad things they do ·are all around [engulf; surround] them;
they are ·right in front of me [always before my face].
Israel’s Evil Kings
3 “They make the king happy with their wickedness;
their ·rulers [princes] are glad with their lies.
4 But all of them are ·traitors [L adulterers].
They are like an oven heated by a baker.
·While he mixes the dough [L From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened],
he does not need to stir up the fire.
5 The kings get so drunk they get sick ·every day [or on the festival day; L on the day].
The ·rulers [princes] become ·crazy [inflamed] with wine;
they ·make agreements [conspire; L stretch out their hands] with ·those who do not know the true God [mockers; scoffers].
6 Their hearts burn like an oven;
as they plot [C an assassination] against him.
All night long their anger ·is low [smolders],
but when morning comes, it becomes a roaring fire.
7 All ·these people [L of them] are as hot as an oven;
they ·burn up [consume; devour] their rulers.
All their kings fall,
and no one calls on me.
Israel and the Other Nations
8 “·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] mixes with other nations;
he is like a ·pancake [cake; flat loaf] ·cooked only on one side [or burned on one side; L not turned].
9 ·Foreign nations [Strangers; Foreigners] have ·eaten up [devoured; sapped] his strength,
but he doesn’t know it.
·Israel is weak and feeble, like an old man [L Grey hair is scattered on him],
but he doesn’t know it.
10 Israel’s ·pride [arrogance] ·will cause their defeat [or testifies against him; L answers in his face];
they will not ·turn back [return] to the Lord their God
or ·look to him for help [L seek him] in all this.
11 Israel has become like a ·pigeon [dove]—
·easy to fool [silly] and ·stupid [senseless].
First they call to Egypt for help.
Then they ·run [turn; go] to Assyria.
12 When they go, I will ·catch them in a net [throw my net over them],
I will bring them down like birds from the sky;
I will ·punish [discipline] them ·countless times for their evil [or when I hear them flocking together; or according to the report given to the congregation].
13 ·How terrible for [L Woe to] them because they ·left [fled/strayed from] me!
They will be destroyed, because they ·turned [rebelled] against me.
I want to ·save [redeem] them,
but they have spoken lies against me.
14 They do not ·call [cry out] to me from their hearts.
They just lie on their beds and ·cry [wail].
They ·come together [assemble themselves; or gash/slash themselves; C a ritual practiced by pagan Canaanite priests (Deut. 14:1; 1 Kin. 18:28; Jer. 16:6)] to ask for grain and new wine,
but they really ·turn away from [rebel against] me.
15 Though I trained them and ·gave them strength [L strengthened their arms],
they have ·made evil plans [plotted evil] against me.
16 They ·did not turn to [or turn, but not to] the Most High God.
They are like a ·loose bow that can’t shoot [faulty bow].
Because ·their leaders brag about their strength [of their indignant/insolent tongue],
they will ·be killed with swords [fall by the sword],
and the people in Egypt
will ·laugh at [ridicule; deride] them.
Hosea 7
New American Standard Bible
Ephraim’s Wrongdoing
7 When I (A)would heal Israel,
The wrongdoing of Ephraim is uncovered,
And the evil deeds of Samaria,
For they practice (B)deception;
The thief enters,
A band of (C)robbers attack outside,
2 And they do not [a]consider in their hearts
That I (D)remember all their wickedness.
Now their (E)deeds surround them;
They are before My face.
3 (F)With their wickedness they make the (G)king happy,
And the officials with their (H)lies.
4 They are (I)all adulterers,
Like an oven heated by the baker,
Who stops [b]stoking the fire
From the time the dough is kneaded until it is leavened.
5 On the [c]day of our king, the officials (J)became sick with the heat of wine;
He stretched out his hand with [d](K)scoffers,
6 For their hearts are like an (L)oven
As they approach their [e]plotting;
Their [f]anger [g]smolders all night,
In the morning it burns like flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot like an oven,
And they consume their (M)rulers;
All their kings have fallen.
(N)None of them calls on Me.
8 Ephraim is himself (O)thrown about with the [h]nations;
Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.
9 (P)Strangers devour his strength,
Yet he (Q)does not know it;
Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him,
Yet he does not know it.
10 Though the (R)pride of Israel testifies against him,
Yet (S)they have not returned to the Lord their God,
Nor have they sought Him, despite all this.
11 So (T)Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, (U)without [i]sense;
They call to (V)Egypt, they go to (W)Assyria.
12 When they go, I will (X)spread My net over them;
I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.
I will (Y)discipline them in accordance with the [j]proclamation to their assembly.
13 (Z)Woe to them, for they have (AA)strayed from Me!
Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!
I (AB)would redeem them, but they have spoken lies against Me.
14 And (AC)they do not cry to Me from their heart
When they wail on their beds;
For the sake of grain and new wine they [k](AD)assemble themselves,
They (AE)turn against Me.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
Yet they (AF)devise evil against Me.
16 They turn, but not [l]upward,
They are like a (AG)loose bow;
Their officials will fall by the sword
Because of the [m](AH)insolence of their tongue.
This will be their (AI)derision in the land of Egypt.
Footnotes
- Hosea 7:2 Lit say to their
- Hosea 7:4 Lit stirring up
- Hosea 7:5 I.e., a festive occasion
- Hosea 7:5 Or rebels
- Hosea 7:6 Lit ambush
- Hosea 7:6 As in some ancient versions; MT baker
- Hosea 7:6 Lit is asleep
- Hosea 7:8 Lit peoples
- Hosea 7:11 Lit heart
- Hosea 7:12 Lit report
- Hosea 7:14 Or LXX and many ancient mss gash themselves
- Hosea 7:16 Or possibly to the Most High
- Hosea 7:16 Lit cursing
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
