Hosea 7
1When I would heal Israel,The guilt of Ephraim reveals itselfAnd the wickedness of Samaria.For they have acted treacherously,With thieves breaking inAnd bands raiding outside.
2And they do not considerThat I remembered all their wickedness.Why, their misdeeds have been all around them, They have been ever before Me.
3In malice they make a king merry,And officials in treachery.
4They commit adultery, all of them,Like an oven fired by a baker,Who desists from stoking onlyFrom the kneading of the dough to its leavening.
5The day they made our king sick[And] officials with the poison of wine,He gave his hand to traitors.
6For they approach their ambushWith their hearts like an oven: Through the nightTheir baker has slept;In the morning, it flares upLike a blazing fire.
7They all get heated like an ovenAnd devour their rulers—None of them calls to Me.All their kings have fallen [by their hand].
8Ephraim is among the peoples;He is rotting away.Ephraim is like a cake—Incapable of turning.
9Strangers have consumed his strength,But he has taken no notice;Also, mold; in contrast to others “gray hairs.” is scattered over him,But he has taken no notice.
10Though Israel’s pride has been humbledBefore his very eyes,They have not turned backTo their God the ETERNAL One—Whom they have not soughtDespite everything.
11Instead, Ephraim has actedLike a silly dove with no mind:They have appealed to Egypt!They have gone to Assyria!
12When they go, I will spreadMy net over them,I will bring them downLike birds of the sky;I will chastise themWhen I hear their bargaining.
13Woe to themFor straying from Me;Destruction to themFor rebelling against Me!For I was their Redeemer;Yet they have plotted treason against Me.
14But they did not cry out to Me sincerelyAs they lay wailing. They debauch/yegur “to commit adultery”; for the thought, cf. 4.11. over new grain and new wine,They are faithless as equivalent to yasoru, from sarar; cf. 9.15 end. to Me.
15I braced, I strengthened their arms,And they plot evil against Me!
16They come back;They have been of no use, Like a slack bow.Their officers shall fall by the sword,Because of the stammering and zughmūm “a stammerer.” of their tongues.Such shall be [the results of] their jabbering In the land of Egypt.