Hosea 7

1Whenever I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is exposed, and the evil deeds of Samaria. For they practice deceit; a thief breaks in, and bandits raid outside.

2They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.

3They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who stops stirring the fire from the kneading of the dough until it rises.

5On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he joined hands with scoffers.

6For they draw near with hearts like an oven as they lie in ambush. All night their baker sleeps; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

7All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls on me.

8Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a flat cake not turned over.

9Foreigners devour his strength, but he does not know it; gray hairs are sprinkled on him, but he does not know it.

10The pride of Israel testifies against him, yet they do not return to Yahweh their God or seek him in spite of all this.

11Ephraim has become like a dove, easily fooled and senseless; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12As they go, I will spread my net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will discipline them according to what was announced to their assembly.

13Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.

14They do not cry out to me from their hearts when they wail on their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine, and they turn away from me.

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

16They turn, but not to the One above; they are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongues. This will make them a laughingstock in the land of Egypt.