Hosea 7:1-16
7 “At the time when I would heal Israel,The error of Eʹphra·im is also exposed,+And the wickedness of Sa·marʹi·a.+
For they practice deception;+Thieves break in and marauder bands raid outside.+
2 But they do not say in their heart that I will remember all their wickedness.+
Now their dealings are all around them;They are right in front of my face.
3 They make the king rejoice by their wickedness,And princes by their deceit.
4 All of them are adulterers,Burning like an oven fired by a baker,Who stops stirring the fire after kneading the dough until it is leavened.
5 On the day of our king, princes have become sick—They are enraged because of wine.+
He has reached out his hand to ridiculers.
6 For they approach with hearts burning like an oven.*
All night long the baker sleeps;In the morning the oven blazes like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot like an oven,And they devour their rulers.*
All their kings have fallen;+No one among them calls out to me.+
8 Eʹphra·im mixes with the nations.+
Eʹphra·im is like a round cake left unturned.
9 Strangers have consumed his strength,+ but he does not know it.
And his gray hairs have turned white, but he does not notice it.
10 The pride of Israel has testified against him,+But they have not returned to Jehovah their God,+Nor have they looked for him despite all of this.
11 Eʹphra·im is like a simpleminded dove, lacking good sense.*+
They have called out to Egypt;+ they have gone to As·syrʹi·a.+
12 Wherever they go, I will spread my net over them.
I will bring them down like the birds of the heavens.
I will discipline them according to the warning given to their assembly.+
13 Woe to them, for they have fled from me!
Devastation to them, for they have transgressed against me!
I was ready to redeem them, but they have spoken lies against me.+
14 From their heart they did not call to me for help,+Although they kept wailing on their beds.
For their grain and new wine they would slash themselves;They turn against me.
15 Although I disciplined them and strengthened their arms,They are against me, scheming what is bad.
16 They changed course, but not to anything loftier;*They were as unreliable as a loose bow.+
Their princes will fall by the sword because of their defiant tongues.
For this they will be an object of ridicule in the land of Egypt.”+
Footnotes
^ Or possibly, “For their hearts are like an oven as they approach with their intrigues.”
^ Lit., “judges.”
^ Lit., “without heart.”
^ That is, not to an elevated form of worship.
