Hos 7

1when I would heal Israel,

then Ephrain’s guilt is revealed,

and Samaria’s crimes are seen,

how they practise fraud

and the thief enters in,

while outside bandits plunder.

2But it never crosses their minds

that I remember their wickedness.

Now their misdeeds surround them,

they are always before my face.

3Their wickedness amuses the king,

and their lying gladdens the princes,

4since they are all of them adulterers.

Their desire to do evil

burns like an oven heated by the baker,

so hot that he need not stir the fire,

from the kneading of the dough, until it rises.

5On our king’s festival day,

the princes are flushed with fever from wine.

He stretched forth his hand with the contemptuous1,

6for like an oven their heart burns with treachery,

all night their anger smoulders,

in the morning it blazes into a flame of fire.

7All of them glow like an oven,

they devour their rulers.

All their kings have fallen.

There is none among them who calls to me.

Evidence of the nation’s iniquity

8Ephraim – he lets himself be mixed among the peoples,

Ephraim – he has become a cake unturned.

9Strangers have devoured his strength, but he does not know it.

His hair is sprinkled with grey, but he does not notice.

10Israel’s arrogance testifies against them

yet they do not return to the Lord their God,

and in all this they do not seek him.

11Ephraim is like a simple, silly dove:

to Egypt they call, after Assyria they go,

12wherever they turn I will spread my net over them,

like birds of the sky I will bring them down,

I will catch them when I hear them gathering.

13Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!

Destruction to them, for they have been untrue to me.

Although it was I who redeemed them,

they speak lies about me.

14They have never cried to me with their hearts,

but they are always wailing on their beds.

They gather to beg for corn and new wine,

but they turn away from me.

15Although it was I who trained and strengthened their arms,

concerning me they plan only evil.

16They turn away from the Most High2.

They have become like a bow that swerves.

Their princes will fall by the sword,

because of the insolence of their tongues.

The land of Egypt will mock them.