Hosea 7
1When
I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood;
and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
2And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have
beset them about; they are before my face.
3They
make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded
the dough, until it be leavened.
5In the day
of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
6For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their
baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is
none among them that calleth unto me.
8Ephraim,
he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon
him, yet he knoweth not.
10And the pride of
Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
11Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go
to Assyria.
12When they shall go, I will spread
my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13Woe unto them! for they have fled from me:
destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against
me.
14And they have not cried unto me with
their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
15Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief
against me.
16They return, but not to the
most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be
their derision in the land of Egypt.
