Ephraim’s Wrongdoing

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,
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.
(F)With their wickedness they make the (G)king happy,
And the officials with their (H)lies.
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.
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,
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.
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.

Ephraim is himself (O)thrown about with the [h]nations;
Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.
(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

  1. Hosea 7:2 Lit say to their
  2. Hosea 7:4 Lit stirring up
  3. Hosea 7:5 I.e., a festive occasion
  4. Hosea 7:5 Or rebels
  5. Hosea 7:6 Lit ambush
  6. Hosea 7:6 As in some ancient versions; MT baker
  7. Hosea 7:6 Lit is asleep
  8. Hosea 7:8 Lit peoples
  9. Hosea 7:11 Lit heart
  10. Hosea 7:12 Lit report
  11. Hosea 7:14 Or LXX and many ancient mss gash themselves
  12. Hosea 7:16 Or possibly to the Most High
  13. Hosea 7:16 Lit cursing

(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