Hosea, 7

1. When I would bring about the restoration of my people, when I would heal Israel, The guilt of Ephraim stands out, the wickedness of Samaria; They practice falsehood, thieves break in, bandits plunder abroad.

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;

2. Yet they do not remind themselves that I remember all their wickedness. Even now their crimes surround them, present to my sight.

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.

3. In their wickedness they regale the king, the princes too, with their deceits.

3. They amuse the king with their wickedness and the chief men with their lies.

4. They are all kindled to wrath like a blazing oven, Whose fire the baker desists from stirring once the dough is kneaded until it has risen.

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.

5. On the day of our king, the princes are overcome with the heat of wine. He extends his hand among dissemblers;

5. At the holiday for our king, the ministers become inflamed with wine, while he accepts the homage of people

6. the plotters approach with hearts like ovens. All the night their anger sleeps; in the morning it flares like a blazing fire.

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;

7. They are all heated like ovens, and consume their rulers. All their kings have fallen; none of them calls upon me.

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.

8. Ephraim mingles with the nations, Ephraim is a hearth cake unturned.

8. Ephraim mixes with the nations. Ephraim is a half-baked cake.

9. Strangers have sapped his strength, but he takes no notice of it; Of gray hairs, too, there is a sprinkling, but he takes no notice of it.

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.

10. The arrogance of Israel bears witness against him; yet they do not return to the LORD, their God, nor seek him, for all that.

10. (Israel's arrogance is his own accuser; but they do not come back to Yahweh their God or seek him, despite all this.)

11. Ephraim is like a dove, silly and senseless; They call upon Egypt, they go to Assyria.

11. Ephraim is like a silly, witless pigeon calling on Egypt, turning to Assyria.

12. Even as they go I will spread my net around them, like birds in the air I will bring them down. In an instant I will send them captive from their land.

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.

13. Woe to them, they have strayed from me! Ruin to them, they have sinned against me! Though I wished to redeem them, they spoke lies against me.

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.

14. They have not cried to me from their hearts when they wailed upon their beds; For wheat and wine they lacerated themselves, while they rebelled 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.

15. Though I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devised evil against me.

15. Though I supported and gave strength to their arms, they plan how to hurt me.

16. They have again become useless, like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongues; thus they shall be mocked in the land of Egypt.

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!