7
1 Should I desire to heal Israel, then would the iniquity of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria be laid open; for they commit falsehood; and the thief entereth [secretly], and the troop of robbers is spread abroad without. 2 And they never think in their own heart that I remember all their wickedness: though now their own doings are all round about them; before my face are they present. 3 With their wickedness they make the king glad, and with their lies the princes. 4 They are all adulterers, as an oven well heated by the baker: [when] he that stirreth [the fire] resteth awhile from kneading the dough, until it be leavened. 5 On the day of our king's [entering on his rule] the princes are made sick with the fumes of wine: [the king] joineth his hand with scorners. 6 For they make ready their heart for their tricky deeds, like the oven, the baker whereof sleepeth all the night, while in the morning it gloweth as a flaming fire. 7 They are all hot as an oven, they devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me. 8 Ephraim mixeth himself indeed among the nations: Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9 Strangers devour his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are sprinkled about on his [head], yet he knoweth not. 10 And humbled was the pride of Israel before his own face; but they did not return to the Lord their God, and sought him not, notwithstanding all this. 11 And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: Egypt did they call hither, to Assyria did they go. 12 As they go, so will I spread out my net over them; as the fowls of the heaven will I bring them down: I will chastise them, as it hath been announced to their congregation. 13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me; destruction shall come unto them, because they have transgressed against me: though I desired to redeem them, they yet spoke lies against me. 14 And they cried not unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: for corn and new wine they assemble themselves, and they rebel against me. 15 And I desired to instruct and to strengthen their arms; yet would they devise evil against me. 16 They never return upward: they are like a deceitful bow: by the sword shall their princes fall because of the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.