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Hosea 7
New International Version
Hosea 7
New International Version
7 1 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)
2 but they do not realize
that I remember(E) all their evil deeds.(F)
Their sins engulf them;(G)
they are always before me.
3 “They delight the king with their wickedness,
the princes with their lies.(H)
4 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.
5 On the day of the festival of our king
the princes become inflamed with wine,(J)
and he joins hands with the mockers.(K)
6 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.
7 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.
8 “Ephraim mixes(O) with the nations;
Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
9 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
- Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together
Hosea 7
New American Standard Bible
Hosea 7
New American Standard Bible
Ephraim’s Wrongdoing
7 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,
2 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.
3 (F)With their wickedness they make the (G)king happy,
And the officials with their (H)lies.
4 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.
5 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,
6 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.
7 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.
8 Ephraim is himself (O)thrown about with the [h]nations;
Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.
9 (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
- Hosea 7:2 Lit say to their
- Hosea 7:4 Lit stirring up
- Hosea 7:5 I.e., a festive occasion
- Hosea 7:5 Or rebels
- Hosea 7:6 Lit ambush
- Hosea 7:6 As in some ancient versions; MT baker
- Hosea 7:6 Lit is asleep
- Hosea 7:8 Lit peoples
- Hosea 7:11 Lit heart
- Hosea 7:12 Lit report
- Hosea 7:14 Or LXX and many ancient mss gash themselves
- Hosea 7:16 Or possibly to the Most High
- Hosea 7:16 Lit cursing
Hosea 7
English Standard Version
Hosea 7
English Standard Version
7 (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.
2 But they do not consider
that (D)I remember all their evil.
Now (E)their deeds surround them;
(F)they are before my face.
3 By their evil (G)they make (H)the king glad,
and the princes by their treachery.
4 (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.
5 On the day of (J)our king, the princes
became sick with the heat of wine;
he stretched out his hand with mockers.
6 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.
7 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.
8 Ephraim (N)mixes himself with the peoples;
Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 (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
- Hosea 7:10 Or in his presence
- Hosea 7:16 Or to the Most High
Hosea 7
Contemporary English Version
Hosea 7
Contemporary English Version
7 and to heal its wounds.
But then I see the crimes
in Israel[a] and Samaria.
Everyone is deceitful;
robbers roam the streets.
2 No one realizes
that I have seen their sins
surround them like a flood.
3 The king and his officials
take great pleasure
in their sin and deceit.
4 Everyone burns with desire—
they are like coals in an oven,
ready to burst into flames.
5 On the day their king
was crowned,
his officials got him drunk,
and he joined
in their foolishness.[b]
6 Their anger is a fire
that smolders all night,
then flares up at dawn.
7 They are flames
destroying their leaders.
And their kings are powerless;
none of them trust me.
8 The people of Israel[c]
have mixed with foreigners;
they are a thin piece of bread
scorched on one side.
9 They don't seem to realize
how weak and feeble they are;
their hair has turned gray,
while foreigners rule.
10 I am the Lord, their God,
but in all of their troubles
their pride keeps them
from returning to me.
No Help from Foreign Nations
The Lord said:
11 Israel[d] is a senseless bird,
fluttering back and forth
between Egypt and Assyria.
12 But I will catch them in a net
as hunters trap birds;
I threatened to punish them,
and indeed I will.[e]
13 Trouble and destruction
will be their reward
for rejecting me.
I would have rescued them,
but they told me lies.
14 They don't really pray to me;
they just howl in their beds.
They have rejected me for Baal
and slashed themselves,[f]
in the hope that Baal
will bless their crops.
15 I taught them what they know,
and I made them strong.
Now they plot against me
16 and refuse to obey.[g]
They are more useless
than a crooked arrow.
Their leaders will die in war
for saying foolish things.
Egyptians will laugh at them.
Footnotes
- 7.1 Israel: See the note at 4.17. Samaria was the capital city of Israel.
- 7.5 foolishness: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
- 7.8 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 4.17).
- 7.11 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 4.17).
- 7.12 I threatened … will: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 7.14 slashed themselves: One ancient translation and some Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts “gather together.” Slashing themselves was one way of worshiping Baal (see 1 Kings 18.28).
- 7.16 and … obey: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Hosea 7
New Living Translation
Hosea 7
New Living Translation
Israel’s Love for Wickedness
7 “I want to heal Israel, but its[a] sins are too great.
Samaria is filled with liars.
Thieves are on the inside
and bandits on the outside!
2 Its people don’t realize
that I am watching them.
Their sinful deeds are all around them,
and I see them all.
3 “The people entertain the king with their wickedness,
and the princes laugh at their lies.
4 They are all adulterers,
always aflame with lust.
They are like an oven that is kept hot
while the baker is kneading the dough.
5 On royal holidays, the princes get drunk with wine,
carousing with those who mock them.
6 Their hearts are like an oven
blazing with intrigue.
Their plot smolders[b] through the night,
and in the morning it breaks out like a raging fire.
7 Burning like an oven,
they consume their leaders.
They kill their kings one after another,
and no one cries to me for help.
8 “The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners,
making themselves as worthless as a half-baked cake!
9 Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength,
but they don’t even know it.
Their hair is gray,
but they don’t realize they’re old and weak.
10 Their arrogance testifies against them,
yet they don’t return to the Lord their God
or even try to find him.
11 “The people of Israel have become like silly, witless doves,
first calling to Egypt, then flying to Assyria for help.
12 But as they fly about,
I will throw my net over them
and bring them down like a bird from the sky.
I will punish them for all the evil they do.[c]
13 “What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me!
Let them die, for they have rebelled against me.
I wanted to redeem them,
but they have told lies about me.
14 They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts.
Instead, they sit on their couches and wail.
They cut themselves,[d] begging foreign gods for grain and new wine,
and they turn away from me.
15 I trained them and made them strong,
yet now they plot evil against me.
16 They look everywhere except to the Most High.
They are as useless as a crooked bow.
Their leaders will be killed by their enemies
because of their insolence toward me.
Then the people of Egypt
will laugh at them.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.