Hosea 7

Wycliffe Bible

7 When I would heal Israel, the wickedness of Ephraim was showed, and the malice of Samaria was showed, for they wrought leasing. And a night thief entered, and robbed; (and) a day thief was withoutforth. (When I desired to restore the prosperity of my people, and to heal Israel, then the wickedness of Ephraim was shown, and the malice of Samaria, for they were all liars. And they entered inside like a night thief, and robbed; and outside, like a day thief, they stole from the people.)

² And lest they say in their hearts, that I have mind on all the malice of them, now their findings have compassed them, those be made before my face. (And lest they say in their hearts, that I only remember all their malice, now their own deeds have surrounded them, and they all be before me.)

³ In their malice they gladded the king, and in their leasings the princes. (They gladdened the king with their malice, and the princes with their lies.)

⁴ All that do adultery, be as an oven made hot of a baker. The city rested a little from the meddling of sourdough, till all was made sour. (All of them who do adultery, or idolatry, be made hot like a baker’s oven. Then the city rested a little from the mixing of the sourdough, until all was made sour.)

⁵ The day of our king, the princes began to be wild of wine; he stretched forth his hand with scorners. (On the day of our king’s celebration, the princes began to be wild with wine; yea, he stretched forth his hand with mockers.)

⁶ For they applied their heart as an oven, when he setted treason to them. All the night he slept (while) baking them; in the morrowtide he was made hot, as the fire of flame. (For they heated up their hearts like an oven, while they plotted their treasons. They slept through the night while baking them; and in the morning their anger was made as hot as a flame of fire.)

⁷ All were made hot as an oven, and they devoured their judges. All the kings of them fell down, and none is among them that crieth to me. (All of them were made as hot as an oven, and they destroyed their rulers, or their leaders. All their kings fell down, and no one is among them who crieth to me.)

⁸ Ephraim himself was meddled among peoples; Ephraim was made a loaf baken under ashes, which is not turned again. (The people of Ephraim have mixed, or mingled, themselves in among the nations; Ephraim was made like a loaf baked under ashes, that is not turned, or is only half-baked.)

⁹ Aliens ate the strength of him, and he knew not; but also hoar hairs were shed out in him, and he knew not. (Strangers, or foreigners, ate up their strength, but they knew it not; and their gray hair turned white, but they knew it not.)

¹⁰ And the pride of Israel shall be made low in the face thereof; they turned not again to their Lord God, and they sought not him in all these things. (And the pride of Israel shall be made low before them; but they did not return to the Lord their God, and they have not sought him, even after all these things.)

¹¹ And Ephraim was made like to a culver deceived, not having heart. They called Egypt to help, they went to Assyrians. (And Ephraim was made like a silly pigeon, yea, without having any sense. First they called to Egypt for help, then they went to Assyria, or to the Assyrians.)

¹² And when they be gone forth, I shall spread abroad on them my net, I shall draw them down as a bird of the air. I shall beat them, by the hearing of the company of them. (And when they be gone forth, I shall spread abroad my net upon them, and I shall draw them down like a bird in the air. I shall beat them, like their company, or their congregation, hath heard/I shall beat them, for the evil which they have done.)

¹³ Woe to them for they went away from me; they shall be destroyed, for they trespassed against me. And I again-bought them, and they spake leasings against me (And I wanted to save, or rescue, them, but they spoke lies about me).

¹⁴ And they cried not to me in their heart, but yelled in their beds. They chewed cud on wheat, and wine, and they went away from me. (And they did not cry to me in their hearts, but wailed upon their beds. They gashed, or wounded, themselves for corn, and for wine, and they went away from me.)

¹⁵ And I taught, and comforted the arms of them, and they thought malice against me. (And I taught them, and I strengthened them, and still they thought malice against me.)

¹⁶ They turned again, that they should be without yoke; they be made as a guileful bow. The princes of them shall fall down by sword for the strong vengeance of their tongue; this is the scorning of them in the land of Egypt. (They turned away again, so that they would be without my yoke; they be made like a crooked bow. And so their leaders shall fall down by the sword because of the boasting and the deceitfulness of their tongues; this shall be their mocking in the land of Egypt.)