Hosea 7

7 ¹ Whenever I try to heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered and the evils of Samaria for they practice falsehood the thief breaks in, the raiders plunder outside. ² But they do not say in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them they are before my face.

³ By their evil they make the king glad and the princes by their lies. ⁴ They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker, who stops stirring the fire from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. ⁵ On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine he joined hands with mockers. ⁶ For they draw near with hearts burning like an oven as they lie in wait all night their anger smolders and in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. ⁷ They are all hot as an oven and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen none of them calls upon me.

Ephraim Drifts and Does Not Know It

⁸ Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples Ephraim is a flat cake not turned over. ⁹ Strangers devour his strength and he does not know it gray hairs are sprinkled upon him and he does not know it. ¹⁰ The pride of Israel testifies to his face yet they do not return to their Father nor seek him, in all of this.

A Foolish Dove Calls for Help Elsewhere

¹¹ Ephraim has become like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria. ¹² As they go, I will spread my net over them I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will discipline them as their assembly was warned.

¹³ Woe 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. ¹⁴ They do not cry to me from their heart but they wail upon their beds for grain and new wine they gash themselves they turn away from me. ¹⁵ Although I trained and strengthened their arms yet they devise evil against me. ¹⁶ They turn but not upward they have become like a slack bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the insolence of their tongue this will make them a laughingstock in the land of Egypt.