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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 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