Hosea 7

Ephraim’s Iniquity

1When I 1would heal Israel, The iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, And the evil deeds of Samaria, For they deal 2falsely; The thief enters in, 3Bandits raid outside,2And they do not 4consider in their hearts That I 5remember all their wickedness. Now their 6deeds are all around them; They are before My face.37With their wickedness they make the 8king glad, And the princes with their 9lies.4They are 10all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker Who ceases to stir up the fire From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.5On the 11day of our king, the princes 12became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with 13scoffers,6For their hearts are like an 14oven As they approach their 15plotting; Their 16anger 17smolders all night, In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.7All of them are hot like an oven, And they consume their 18rulers; All their kings have fallen. 19None of them calls on Me.

8Ephraim 20mixes himself with the 21nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned.922Strangers devour his strength, Yet he 23does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know it.10Though the 24pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet 25they have not returned to the Lord their God, Nor have they sought Him, for all this.11So 26Ephraim has become like a silly dove, 27without 28sense; They call to 29Egypt, they go to 30Assyria.12When they go, I will 31spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will 32chastise them in accordance with the 33proclamation to their assembly.1334Woe to them, for they have 35strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I 36would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.14And 37they do not cry to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds; For the sake of grain and new wine they 3839assemble themselves, They 40turn away from Me.15Although I trained and strengthened their arms, Yet they 41devise evil against Me.16They turn, but not 42upward, They are like a 43deceitful bow; Their princes will fall by the sword Because of the 4445insolence of their tongue. This will be their 46derision in the land of Egypt.