Chapter 7

When I would have healed² Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered,⁸ and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit¹ falsehood; and the thief cometh in,⁴ [and] the troop of robbers spoileth¹ without.

And they consider⁴ not in their hearts [that] I remember¹ all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about;¹ they are before my face.

They make the king glad¹⁷ with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

They [are] all adulterers,¹⁸ as an oven heated⁶ by the baker,⁶ [who] ceaseth⁴ from raising² after he hath kneaded² the dough, until it be leavened.²

In the day of our king the princes have made [him] sick⁵² with bottles of wine; he stretched out¹ his hand with scorners.⁶

For they have made ready¹⁴ their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait:² their baker⁶ sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth⁶ as a flaming fire.

They are all hot¹¹ as an oven, and have devoured¹ their judges;⁶ all their kings are fallen:¹ [there is] none among them that calleth⁶ unto me.

Ephraim, he hath mixed¹⁰⁸ himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.⁷

Strangers⁵ have devoured¹ his strength, and he knoweth¹ [it] not: yea, gray hairs are here and there¹ upon him, yet he knoweth¹ not.

And the pride of Israel testifieth¹ to his face: and they do not return¹ to the LORD their God, nor seek¹⁴ him for all this.

Ephraim also is like a silly⁶ dove without heart: they call¹ to Egypt, they go¹ to Assyria.

When they shall go,⁴ I will spread⁴ my net upon them; I will bring them down⁵⁵ as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise⁵⁵ them, as their congregation hath heard.

Woe unto them! for they have fled¹ from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed¹ against me: though I have redeemed⁴ them, yet they have spoken¹⁴ lies against me.

And they have not cried¹ unto me with their heart, when they howled⁵⁵ upon their beds: they assemble¹¹³ themselves for corn and wine, [and] they rebel⁴ against me.

Though I have bound¹⁴ [and] strengthened¹⁴ their arms, yet do they imagine¹⁷ mischief against me.

They return,⁴ [but] not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall⁴ by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this [shall be] their derision in the land of Egypt.