Hosea, 7
1. Whenever I would heal Israel, I am confronted by the guilt of Ephraim and the evil-doings of Samaria; for deceit is their principle of behaviour; the thief breaks into the house, marauders raid in the open;
1. when I would heal Israel, the corruption of E'phraim is revealed, and the wicked deeds of Sama'ria; for they deal falsely, the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid without.
2. and they never pause to consider that I remember all their wicked deeds; and now their own deeds hem them in and stare me in the face.
2. But they do not consider that I remember all their evil works. Now their deeds encompass them, they are before my face.
3. They amuse the king with their wickedness and the chief men with their lies.
3. By their wickedness they make the king glad, and the princes by their treachery.
4. They are all adulterers, hot as an oven which the baker need not stoke from the time he has kneaded the dough until it rises.
4. 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. At the holiday for our king, the ministers become inflamed with wine, while he accepts the homage of people
5. On the day of our king the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers.
6. who laugh at him. Their hearts are like an oven as they plot, all night their passion slumbers, then in the morning it bursts into flame;
6. For like an oven their hearts burn with intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7. yes, all of them as hot as ovens, they consume their rulers. All their kings have fallen thus, not one of them has ever called on me.
7. All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen; and none of them calls upon me.
8. Ephraim mixes with the nations. Ephraim is a half-baked cake.
8. E'phraim mixes himself with the peoples; E'phraim is a cake not turned.
9. Foreigners have eaten his strength away but he is unconscious of it; even his hair is turning grey but he is unconscious of it.
9. Aliens devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not.
10. (Israel's arrogance is his own accuser; but they do not come back to Yahweh their God or seek him, despite all this.)
10. The pride of Israel witnesses against him; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him, for all this.
11. Ephraim is like a silly, witless pigeon calling on Egypt, turning to Assyria.
11. E'phraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.
12. Wherever they turn, I shall spread my net over them, I shall bring them down like the birds of the sky, I shall punish them for their perversity.
12. As they go, I will spread over them my net; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them for their wicked deeds.
13. Woe to them for having fled from me! Ruin seize them for having wronged me! I have rescued them again and again and they have only told lies about me.
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.
14. Theirs is no heartfelt cry to me when they lament on their beds; when they gash themselves over the grain and new wine, they are still rebelling against me.
14. They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves, they rebel against me.
15. Though I supported and gave strength to their arms, they plan how to hurt me.
15. Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me.
16. They turn to what does not exist, they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their arrogant talk; how they will be laughed at in Egypt!
16. They turn to Ba'al; they are like a treacherous bow, their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
