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When I would heal Israel,

    then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered,
    also the wickedness of Samaria;
    for they commit falsehood,
    and the thief enters in,
    and the gang of robbers ravages outside.
They don’t consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness.
    Now their own deeds have engulfed them.
    They are before my face.
They make the king glad with their wickedness,
    and the princes with their lies.
They are all adulterers.
    They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring,
    from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.
On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine.
    He joined his hand with mockers.
For they have prepared their heart like an oven,
    while they lie in wait.
    Their baker sleeps all the night.
    In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.
They are all hot as an oven,
    and devour their judges.
All their kings have fallen.
    There is no one among them who calls to me.
Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations.
    Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.
Strangers have devoured his strength,
    and he doesn’t realize it.
Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him,
    and he doesn’t realize it.
10 The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
    yet they haven’t returned to Yahweh their God,
    nor sought him, for all this.

11 “Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding.
    They call to Egypt.
    They go to Assyria.
12 When they go, I will spread my net on them.
    I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.
    I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.
13 Woe to them!
    For they have wandered from me.
Destruction to them!
    For they have trespassed against me.
Though I would redeem them,
    yet they have spoken lies against me.
14 They haven’t cried to me with their heart,
    but they howl on their beds.
They assemble themselves for grain and new wine.
    They turn away from me.
15 Though I have taught and strengthened their arms,
    yet they plot evil against me.
16 They return, but not to the Most High.
    They are like a faulty bow.
    Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue.
    This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.

    When I would heal Israel,
            the evil acts of Ephraim are exposed,
                and the wicked deeds of Samaria;
            for they deceive and steal,
                a thief breaks in;
                a group of bandits raid outside.
    But they don’t consider within their hearts
            that I remember all their wickedness.
    Now their deeds show who they are,
            right in front of my face.
    By their wickedness they make the king glad,
            and give joy to the officials with their lies.
    They all act like adulterers;
            they are like a heated oven,
            whose baker doesn’t need to stoke the fire,
                from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
    On the day of our king,
            the officials became sick with the heat of wine;
            he stretched out his hand to those who mocked him.
    They approach like a hot oven, their hearts burning.
            Throughout the night, their anger smolders;
                in the morning, it continues to burn like a flaming fire.
    All of them are hot as an oven;
            they devour their rulers.
    All their kings have fallen;
            none of them call upon me.
    Ephraim mixes himself among the people;
            Ephraim is like flatbread that is cooked on only one side.
    Strangers have eaten up his strength,
            yet he doesn’t know it;
        gray hairs are sprinkled here and there upon him,
            yet he doesn’t know it.
10     Israel’s pride is a witness against him;
            yet they don’t return to the Lord their God,
                or seek him because of all this.

Foolishness and God’s wrath

11 Ephraim has become like a dove,
        silly and without common sense;
        they call upon Egypt; they go to Assyria.
12 As they go, I will spread my net over them;
        like birds in the sky, I will bring them down;
    I will judge them according to the report made to their assembly.
13 Doom to them, for they have strayed from me;
        destruction will be their lot because they have rebelled against me.
    I would redeem them,
        but they speak lies against me.
14 They don’t cry to me from the heart,
        but they sob upon their beds;
    they fight[a] over grain and wine;
        they resist me.
15 It was I who gave them their strength,
        yet they plot evil against me.
16 They return, but not to the Most High;[b]
    they have become like a worthless bow;
        their officials will fall by the sword
        because of the rage of their tongues;
        in Egypt they will make fun of them.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:14 Or cut themselves
  2. Hosea 7:16 Heb uncertain
  3. Hosea 7:16 Or they will be scorned in the land of Egypt.