When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.

And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.

11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.

13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.

16 They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Et fordærvet samfund

Når jeg prøver at kurere Israel, kommer Efraims ondskab klart til syne, og Samarias synder kommer frem i lyset, for de er fulde af løgn og bedrag. Der begås indbrud i husene, og man bliver overfaldet på gaden. De tænker ikke på, at jeg ser dem. Deres syndige handlinger tårner sig op omkring dem og stirrer mig i øjnene. Kongen støtter dem i deres ondskab, og lederne opmuntrer dem til at lyve. De brænder alle for deres utroskab. De er som en ophedet bageovn, hvor bageren ikke behøver at rode op i ilden eller komme mere brænde på, fra han lægger dej til brødet og indtil dejen er hævet.

På kongens festdag drikker lederne sig fulde. De bliver øre af vinen som af feber, og kongen tager del i deres tåbeligheder. De er opslugt af intriger som en ovn, der ulmer natten lang og blusser op næste morgen. I deres brændende lidenskab myrder de den ene konge efter den anden, men ingen af kongerne råber til mig om hjælp.

Efraim er blandet op med gudløse folkeslag. Mit folk er som en brændt pandekage, der ikke blev vendt på panden. De fremmede folkeslag tapper mit folks styrke, uden at mit folk lægger mærke til det. Israels folk er udbrændt som en gammel, gråhåret mand, men de ved det ikke. 10 Deres selvsikre hovmod vidner imod dem. Men alligevel vender de sig ikke til mig, deres Gud, for at få hjælp.

11 Israel er som en due uden forstand, der først kalder på Egypten for at få hjælp og siden sender bud til Assyrien. 12 Men jeg kaster mit net over den i flugten og fanger den, for jeg vil straffe mit folk for deres onde handlinger.

13 Stakkels mit folk, som har vendt mig ryggen. De styrer mod afgrunden, for de har gjort oprør imod mig. Jeg vil gerne redde dem, men de er fulde af falskhed og løgn. 14 De søger mig ikke af et oprigtigt hjerte, men ligger og jamrer på deres senge. De skærer sig selv til blods for at få afguderne til at give dem korn og vin. 15 Jeg underviste dem og gjorde dem stærke, men de vendte sig imod mig. 16 De søger hjælp alle vegne, bare ikke hos mig.[a] De er som en slap bue, der ikke kan bruges til noget. Landets ledere vil falde for sværdet på grund af deres oprør mod mig, og egypterne vil godte sig over deres skæbne.”

Footnotes

  1. 7,16 Meningen er omstridt.

whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
    and the crimes of Samaria revealed.(A)
They practice deceit,(B)
    thieves break into houses,(C)
    bandits rob in the streets;(D)
but they do not realize
    that I remember(E) all their evil deeds.(F)
Their sins engulf them;(G)
    they are always before me.

“They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.(H)
They are all adulterers,(I)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,(J)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.(K)
Their hearts are like an oven;(L)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,(M)
    and none of them calls(N) on me.

“Ephraim mixes(O) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
Foreigners sap his strength,(P)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,(Q)
    but despite all this
he does not return(R) to the Lord his God
    or search(S) for him.

11 “Ephraim is like a dove,(T)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,(U)
    now turning to Assyria.(V)
12 When they go, I will throw my net(W) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
13 Woe(X) to them,
    because they have strayed(Y) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me(Z) falsely.(AA)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts(AB)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,[a] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,(AC)
    but they turn away from me.(AD)
15 I trained(AE) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil(AF) against me.
16 They do not turn to the Most High;(AG)
    they are like a faulty bow.(AH)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent(AI) words.
For this they will be ridiculed(AJ)
    in the land of Egypt.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together

(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