Hosea 7

When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.

Just when I was about to heal Israel, Ephraim's sins were exposed, along with Samaria's wickedness. They were lying and stealing, allowing bands of thieves to wreak havoc unchecked.

And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

They forget that I see all their wrongs. Now, their actions have trapped them, always in my sight.

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

The king rejoices in their sinful actions, and the leaders delight in their deceit.

They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

They're all unfaithful, like a baker's oven that's left alone after the dough is prepared, waiting for it to rise.

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

On our king's day, his advisors intoxicated him with endless wine, leading him to make decisions in mockery and scorn.

For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

Their hearts are prepped like a heated oven, lying in ambush. Their inner turmoil rests at night, only to ignite like a blazing fire come morning.

They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

They burn with fiery passion, consuming their leaders without remorse. Their rulers have all crumbled, yet not one seeks my guidance.

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

Ephraim has mixed himself in among the nations; he's like a cake that was never turned, unfinished and inconsistent.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

His strength has been sapped by outsiders, yet he's oblivious. His hair is turning gray, but he remains unaware.

And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

Israel's arrogance is evident, yet they refuse to turn back to God or seek His guidance, despite everything.

Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

Ephraim behaves like a silly, senseless dove, calling out to Egypt, then flying off to Assyria.

When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.

As they depart, I'll cast my net over them, pulling them down like birds from the sky. I'll correct them, just as their community has been forewarned.

Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

Woe to them! They've run away from me. Destruction is coming on them, because they've rebelled against me! I would have rescued them, yet they've spread lies about me.

And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

Despite their cries of despair in the solitude of their beds, their hearts did not truly reach out to me. They gathered only for food and drink, defiantly turning their backs on me.

Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.

Even after I've empowered and fortified them, they still plot against me with ill intentions.

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

They come back, but not to God. They're as unreliable as a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent tongues. For this they will be mocked in Egypt.