Hosea 7:4-11

4None of them serves me faithfully. They are always ready to do bad things, like an oven that has a hot fire inside it. When the baker is ready to bake his bread, he makes the fire even hotter.

5On a day when the king has a feast, the leaders drink too much wine. The king and the leaders join with other people to do foolish things.

6But the leaders are planning to murder the king. Their anger is like the fire of an oven. It burns slowly inside them all through the night. But in the morning the fire is too strong to hold.

7They are so angry that they kill their rulers. Now all their kings are dead. None of them calls out to me for help.’

8‘Ephraim's people have mixed themselves with people of other nations. So they have become useless, like bread that is not properly cooked.

9Foreign people have taken away Israel's strength. But the Israelites do not realize what is happening! They have become like an old man with grey hair. But they do not realize how weak they are.

10Israel's people are too proud to change. This shows that they are guilty. They still refuse to turn back to me, the Lord their God. In all their troubles, they do not look for my help.

11Ephraim has become like a silly dove. He cannot decide where to go. The Israelites ask Egypt to help them. Then they decide to ask Assyria instead.