Hosea (The Book of )
Hosea, Chapter 7
when I would heal Israel, the corruption of Ephraim is revealed, and the wicked deeds of Samaria; for they deal falsely, the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid without.
But they do not consider that I remember all their evil works. Now their deeds encompass them, they are before my face.
By their wickedness they make the king glad, and the princes by their treachery.
They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven, whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
On the day of our king the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers.
For like an oven their hearts burn with intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen; and none of them calls upon me.
Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Aliens devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not.
The pride of Israel witnesses against him; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him, for all this.
Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.
As they go, I will spread over them my net; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them for their wicked deeds.
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.
They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves, they rebel against me.
Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me.
They turn to Baal; they are like a treacherous bow, their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
