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7 ‘Yes, I want to make the people of Israel healthy again,
but I see how great their sins are.
Samaria's people do many evil things.
They deceive one another,
they take things from other people's homes,
and they attack people in the streets to rob them.
2 They do not understand that I remember all their sins.
The wicked things that they do are everywhere.
Wherever they go, I see their sins very clearly. [ a ]

The king does not rule well

3 The king is happy to see the evil things that his people do.
The leaders are also happy when the people cheat and tell lies.
4 None of them serves me faithfully.
They are always ready to do bad things,
like an oven that has a hot fire inside it.
When the baker is ready to bake his bread,
he makes the fire even hotter. [ b ]
5 On a day when the king has a feast,
the leaders drink too much wine.
The king and the leaders join with other people to do foolish things.
6 But the leaders are planning to murder the king.
Their anger is like the fire of an oven.
It burns slowly inside them all through the night.
But in the morning the fire is too strong to hold.
7 They are so angry that they kill their rulers.
Now all their kings are dead.
None of them calls out to me for help.’

Israel's people refuse to change

8 ‘Ephraim's people have mixed themselves with people of other nations. [ c ]
So they have become useless, like bread that is not properly cooked. [ d ]
9 Foreign people have taken away Israel's strength.
But the Israelites do not realize what is happening!
They have become like an old man with grey hair.
But they do not realize how weak they are.
10 Israel's people are too proud to change.
This shows that they are guilty.
They still refuse to turn back to me, the Lord their God.
In all their troubles, they do not look for my help.
11 Ephraim has become like a silly dove. [ e ]
He cannot decide where to go.
The Israelites ask Egypt to help them.
Then they decide to ask Assyria instead.
12 When they fly around like that,
I will throw my net over them.
I will catch them like birds that fly in the sky.
I will punish them as they join together to do evil things.
13 Terrible trouble will happen to them,
because they have gone away from me.
They have turned against me, so they will die.
I wanted to rescue them,
but they have told lies about me.
14 They do not pray and trust me to help them.
Instead, they lie down on their beds and they weep loudly.
They cut their bodies to get grain and wine. [ f ]
They turn away from me.
15 I taught them what was right. I made them strong.
But now they have decided to do evil things against me.
16 They do not look up to me for help.
They are as useless as a bow that cannot shoot an arrow properly.
Their leaders are proud of their own strength,
but they will die in battle.
Then the people of Egypt will laugh at them.’

Footnotes

  1. 7:2 God sees everything. When he looks at Israel's people, he sees their sins.
  2. 7:4 Bakers were people who cooked bread in large ovens, which were very hot. Israel's leaders were like the hot fire of an oven. They were ready to do bad things whenever there was a chance.
  3. 7:8 Ephraim was another name for Israel, the northern kingdom of God's people.
  4. 7:8 Israel's leaders thought that Assyria might attack them. So they went to ask for help from Egypt, Syria and Philistia. They did not trust God to help them.
  5. 7:11 Doves sometimes fly around without any purpose. The Israelites had become like that. It was easy for other countries to fight against them.
  6. 7:14 When they cried and they cut themselves, they wanted to please the false gods, so that they would get wine and food.

7 “I will heal Israel!
Then people will know that Ephraim sinned.
They will know about Samaria’s [ a ] lies.
They will know about the thieves who come and go in that town.
2 They don’t believe that I will remember their crimes.
The bad things they did are all around.
I can see their sins clearly.
3 Their evil makes their king happy.
Their false gods please their leaders.
4 A baker presses dough to make bread.
He puts the bread in the oven.
He does not make the fire hotter
while the bread is rising.
But the people of Israel are not like that.
They are always making their fire hotter.
5 On Our King’s Day, the leaders get so drunk that they get sick.
They become crazy with wine
and make agreements with people who laugh at God.
6 The people make their secret plans.
Their hearts burn with excitement like an oven.
Their excitement burns all night,
and in the morning it is like a hot fire.
7 They are all like hot ovens.
They destroyed their rulers.
All their kings fell.
Not one of them called to me for help.

Israel and the Nations

8 “Ephraim mixes with the nations.
Ephraim is like a cake that was not cooked on both sides.
9 Strangers destroy Ephraim’s strength,
but Ephraim does not know it.
Gray hairs [ b ] are also sprinkled on Ephraim,
but Ephraim does not know it.
10 Ephraim’s pride speaks against him.
The people had many troubles,
but they still didn’t go back to the Lord their God.
They didn’t look to him for help.
11 So Ephraim has become like a silly dove without understanding.
The people called to Egypt for help.
They went to Assyria for help.
12 They go to those countries for help,
but I will trap them.
I will throw my net over them,
and I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.
I will punish them for their agreements. [ c ]
13 It will be very bad for those who left me.
They refused to obey me, so they will be destroyed.
I saved them,
but they speak lies against me.
14 They never call to me from their hearts.
Yes, they cry on their beds.
And they cut themselves when they ask for grain and new wine.
But in their hearts, they have turned away from me.
15 I trained them and made their arms strong,
but they made evil plans against me.
16 Like a boomerang, they changed directions,
but they did not come back to me. [ d ]
Their leaders bragged about their strength,
but they will be killed with swords.
And the people in Egypt
will laugh at them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:1 Samaria The capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel.
  2. Hosea 7:9 Gray hairs This word might describe something that was put on the food when people cooked, something that looked like gray hairs.
  3. Hosea 7:12 for their agreements Or “for the report of their treaties.”
  4. Hosea 7:16 they changed … to me Or “They turned, but not upward” or “They turned to the ‘no-gods.’” That is, the statues people worshiped as gods.

7 When 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.

2 And 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.

3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

6 For 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.

7 They 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.

8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.

11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12 When 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.

13 Woe 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.

14 And 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.

15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.

16 They 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.

Ephraim’s Wrongdoing

7 When I ( A ) would heal Israel,
The wrongdoing of Ephraim is uncovered,
And the evil deeds of Samaria,
For they practice ( B ) deception;
The thief enters,
A band of ( C ) robbers attack outside,
2 And they do not [ a ] consider in their hearts
That I ( D ) remember all their wickedness.
Now their ( E ) deeds surround them;
They are before My face.
3 ( F ) With their wickedness they make the ( G ) king happy,
And the officials with their ( H ) lies.
4 They are ( I ) all adulterers,
Like an oven heated by the baker,
Who stops [ b ] stoking the fire
From the time the dough is kneaded until it is leavened.
5 On the [ c ] day of our king, the officials ( J ) became sick with the heat of wine;
He stretched out his hand with [ d ] ( K ) scoffers,
6 For their hearts are like an ( L ) oven
As they approach their [ e ] plotting;
Their [ f ] anger [ g ] smolders all night,
In the morning it burns like flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot like an oven,
And they consume their ( M ) rulers;
All their kings have fallen.
( N ) None of them calls on Me.

8 Ephraim is himself ( O ) thrown about with the [ h ] nations;
Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.
9 ( P ) Strangers devour his strength,
Yet he ( Q ) does not know it ;
Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him,
Yet he does not know it .
10 Though the ( R ) pride of Israel testifies against him,
Yet ( S ) they have not returned to the Lord their God,
Nor have they sought Him, despite all this.
11 So ( T ) Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, ( U ) without [ i ] sense;
They call to ( V ) Egypt, they go to ( W ) Assyria.
12 When they go, I will ( X ) spread My net over them;
I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.
I will ( Y ) discipline them in accordance with the [ j ] proclamation to their assembly.
13 ( Z ) Woe to them, for they have ( AA ) strayed from Me!
Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!
I ( AB ) would redeem them, but they have spoken lies against Me.
14 And ( AC ) they do not cry to Me from their heart
When they wail on their beds;
For the sake of grain and new wine they [ k ] ( AD ) assemble themselves,
They ( AE ) turn against Me.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
Yet they ( AF ) devise evil against Me.
16 They turn, but not [ l ] upward,
They are like a ( AG ) loose bow;
Their officials will fall by the sword
Because of the [ m ] ( AH ) insolence of their tongue.
This will be their ( AI ) derision in the land of Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:2 Lit say to their
  2. Hosea 7:4 Lit stirring up
  3. Hosea 7:5 I.e., a festive occasion
  4. Hosea 7:5 Or rebels
  5. Hosea 7:6 Lit ambush
  6. Hosea 7:6 As in some ancient versions; MT baker
  7. Hosea 7:6 Lit is asleep
  8. Hosea 7:8 Lit peoples
  9. Hosea 7:11 Lit heart
  10. Hosea 7:12 Lit report
  11. Hosea 7:14 Or LXX and many ancient mss gash themselves
  12. Hosea 7:16 Or possibly to the Most High
  13. Hosea 7:16 Lit cursing

7 1 whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
and the crimes of Samaria revealed. ( A )
They practice deceit, ( B )
thieves break into houses, ( C )
bandits rob in the streets; ( D )
2 but they do not realize
that I remember ( E ) all their evil deeds. ( F )
Their sins engulf them; ( G )
they are always before me.

3 “They delight the king with their wickedness,
the princes with their lies. ( H )
4 They are all adulterers, ( I )
burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
5 On the day of the festival of our king
the princes become inflamed with wine, ( J )
and he joins hands with the mockers. ( K )
6 Their hearts are like an oven; ( L )
they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot as an oven;
they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall, ( M )
and none of them calls ( N ) on me.

8 “Ephraim mixes ( O ) with the nations;
Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
9 Foreigners sap his strength, ( P )
but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against him, ( Q )
but despite all this
he does not return ( R ) to the Lord his God
or search ( S ) for him.

11 “Ephraim is like a dove, ( T )
easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt, ( U )
now turning to Assyria. ( V )
12 When they go, I will throw my net ( W ) over them;
I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
I will catch them.
13 Woe ( X ) to them,
because they have strayed ( Y ) from me!
Destruction to them,
because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
but they speak about me ( Z ) falsely. ( AA )
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts ( AB )
but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves, [ a ] appealing to their gods
for grain and new wine, ( AC )
but they turn away from me. ( AD )
15 I trained ( AE ) them and strengthened their arms,
but they plot evil ( AF ) against me.
16 They do not turn to the Most High; ( AG )
they are like a faulty bow. ( AH )
Their leaders will fall by the sword
because of their insolent ( AI ) words.
For this they will be ridiculed ( AJ )
in the land of Egypt. ( AK )

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together
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