Osée 7

¹ When I have healed Israel, then shall the iniquity of Ephraim be revealed, and the wickedness of Samaria ; for they have wrought falsehood : and a thief shall come in to him, even a robber spoiling in his way ;

² that they may concert together as men singing in their heart : I remember all their wickedness : now have their own counsels compassed them about ; they came before my face.

³ They gladdened kings with their wickedness, and princes with their lies.

⁴ They are all adulterers, as an oven glowing with flame for hot-baking, on account of the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

⁵ In the days of our kings, the princes began to be inflamed with wine : he stretched out his hand with pestilent fellows.

⁶ Wherefore their hearts are inflamed as an oven, while they rage all the night : Ephraim is satisfied with sleep ; the morning is come ; he is burnt up as a flame of fire.

⁷ They are all heated like an oven, and have devoured their judges : all their kings are fallen ; there was not among them one that called on me.

⁸ Ephraim is mixed among his people ; Ephraim became a cake not turned.

⁹ Strangers devoured his strength, and he knew it not ; and grey hairs came upon him, and he knew it not.

¹⁰ And the pride of Israel shall be brought down before his face : yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, neither have they diligently sought him for all this.

¹¹ And Ephraim was as a silly dove, not having a heart : he called to Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians.

¹² Whenever they shall go, I will cast my net upon them ; I will bring them down as the birds of the sky, I will chasten them with the rumour of their coming affliction.

¹³ Woe to them ! for they have started aside from me : they are cowards ; for they have sinned against me : yet I redeemed them, but they spoke falsehoods against me.

¹⁴ And their hearts did not cry to me, but they howled on their beds : they pined for oil and wine.

¹⁵ They were instructed by me, and I strengthened their arms ; and they devised evils against me.

¹⁶ They turned aside to that which is not, they became as a bent bow : their princes shall fall by the sword, by reason of the unbridled state of their tongue : this is their setting at nought in the land of Egypt.