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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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