Hosea 7

Ephraim’s Iniquity

¹ When I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim ¹ will be exposed, as well as the crimes of Samaria. For they practice deceit and thieves break in; bandits raid in the streets.

² But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.

³ They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.

⁴ They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough.

⁵ The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.

⁶ For they prepare their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; all night their anger smolders;² in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

⁷ All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings fall; not one of them calls upon Me.

⁸ Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.

⁹ Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not know.

¹⁰ Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him.

¹¹ So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove— calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.

¹² As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.³

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

¹⁴ They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves ⁴ for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.

¹⁵ Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.

¹⁶ They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.