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when I would heal Israel,
and the corruption of Ephraim is revealed,
    and the wicked deeds of Samaria;
because they deal in falsehood,
    the thief breaks in,[a]
    and the bandit raids the outside.
But they did not consider[b]
    that I remember all their wickedness.
Now their deeds surround them;
    they are before my face.
By their wickedness they make the king glad,
    and the officials by their treacheries.
All of them commit adultery,
    like a burning oven
whose baker has stopped from stirring the fire,
    and from kneading the dough until it is leavened.
On the day of our king, the princes
    became sick with the heat of wine;[c]
he stretched out his hand with mockers.
    Because they are kindled[d] like an oven,
their heart burns within them;
    all night their anger smolders,[e]
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven,
    and they devour[f] their rulers.
All their kings have fallen;
    there is none who calls to me amongst them.
Ephraim mixes himself
    with the nations;
Ephraim is a bread cake
    not turned over.
Foreigners devour[g] his strength,
    and he does not know it;
mold[h] is also sprinkled upon him,
    and he does not know it.
10 The pride of Israel testifies against him[i]
    they do not return to Yahweh their God;
    they do not seek him for all of this.[j]
11 Ephraim was like a dove,
    silly, without sense;[k]
they call to Egypt,
    they go to Assyria.
12 Just as they go, I will cast my net
    over them;
I will bring them down
        like the birds[l] of the heavens;[m]
    I will discipline them
        according to a report to their assembly.[n]
13 Woe to them, because they have strayed from me!
    Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me!
I myself would redeem them,
    but they speak lies against me.
14 They do not cry out to me from their heart,
    but they wail on their beds;
because of grain and new wine they lacerate[o] themselves;
    they depart from me.
15 And I myself trained
    and strengthened their arms;
        but they plan evil against me.
16 They turn, not to the Most High,[p]
    like a slack bow;
their officials will fall by the sword
    because of the anger of their tongue.
This is their scorn[q]
    in the land of Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:1 Or “comes in”
  2. Hosea 7:2 Literally “But they did not say to their heart”
  3. Hosea 7:5 This phrase refers to the effects of wine on the body
  4. Hosea 7:6 Hebrew “they drew near;” other ancient translations read “they are kindled”
  5. Hosea 7:6 Literally “sleeps”
  6. Hosea 7:7 Or “they eat”
  7. Hosea 7:9 Or “Foreigners eat”
  8. Hosea 7:9 Literally “grey hair,” but in this case the word refers to the “hairs of mold” on food
  9. Hosea 7:10 Literally “answers against his face”
  10. Hosea 7:10 Or “in all of this”
  11. Hosea 7:11 Literally “without heart”
  12. Hosea 7:12 Hebrew “bird”
  13. Hosea 7:12 Or “sky”
  14. Hosea 7:12 Hebrew uncertain
  15. Hosea 7:14 Or “gash”
  16. Hosea 7:16 Hebrew uncertain; the NRSV translates “to that which does not profit”; the NASB translates “but not upward”
  17. Hosea 7:16 The NRSV translates “So much for their babbling”

whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
    and the crimes of Samaria revealed.(A)
They practice deceit,(B)
    thieves break into houses,(C)
    bandits rob in the streets;(D)
but they do not realize
    that I remember(E) all their evil deeds.(F)
Their sins engulf them;(G)
    they are always before me.

“They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.(H)
They are all adulterers,(I)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,(J)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.(K)
Their hearts are like an oven;(L)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,(M)
    and none of them calls(N) on me.

“Ephraim mixes(O) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
Foreigners sap his strength,(P)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,(Q)
    but despite all this
he does not return(R) to the Lord his God
    or search(S) for him.

11 “Ephraim is like a dove,(T)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,(U)
    now turning to Assyria.(V)
12 When they go, I will throw my net(W) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
13 Woe(X) to them,
    because they have strayed(Y) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me(Z) falsely.(AA)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts(AB)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,[a] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,(AC)
    but they turn away from me.(AD)
15 I trained(AE) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil(AF) against me.
16 They do not turn to the Most High;(AG)
    they are like a faulty bow.(AH)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent(AI) words.
For this they will be ridiculed(AJ)
    in the land of Egypt.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together