Hosea, 7

1. 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.

1. The sin of Ephraim appears clearly; the wickedness of Samaria is obvious. They cheat one another, they break into houses while bandits raid outside.

2. 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.

2. They do not realize that I am mindful of their evil deeds. They are engulfed by their sins which are always before me.

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

3. They amuse the king with their wickedness and the officials with their trickery.

4. 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.

4. They are and remain adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker; he has not to stir the fire from the time the dough is kneaded until it rises.

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

5. On the day of the king his officials get drunk and the king joins hands with the revelers.

6. 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.

6. In their plotting they burn like an oven; all night their anger smolders and in the morning blazes like a fire.

7. 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.

7. They are all heated like an oven and they devour their own rulers; all their kings fall but none of them calls on me for help.

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

8. Ephraim mixes with other nations. He is like a half-baked loaf;

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

9. the nations around him consume his strength but he is unaware of it. He has become old and he does not know it.

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.

10. Israel's arrogance is witness against him but even so they will not turn back to Yahweh, their God, or search for him.

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

11. Ephraim is like a silly pigeon, now calling on Egypt, now turning 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.

12. But wherever they turn I shall throw my net over them for they rebelled against me and they will fall like birds.

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.

13. Woe to them who fled far from me; disgrace will fall on those who deceived me. I wanted to redeem them but they spoke evil of 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.

14. They did not call on me sincerely when they groaned on their beds because of their wheat and wine and turned to me.

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

15. When I made them successful and strong, they plotted evil 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.

16. Now they turn to nothingness. They are deceptive as a twisted bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent talk; in the land of Egypt, people will make fun of them.