Chapter 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 ¹spoiling in his way; ² that they may concert together as men singing in their heart: I remember

1075

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 ²dough, 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 rumor 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 ³pined 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 ⁴that 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.