Hos Hosea, chapter Book of Hosea, chapter 7
Ephraim’s Iniquity
When I heal Israel,
the iniquity of Ephraim7:1 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verses 8 and 11 will be exposed,
as well as the crimes of Samaria.
For they practice deceit and thieves break in;
bandits raid in the streets.Jer 17:14; Jer 51:9; Hos 12:1
But they fail to consider in their hearts
that I remember all their evil.
Now their deeds are all around them;
they are before My face.Job 24:15; Rom 1:32
They delight the king with their evil,
and the princes with their lies.
They are all adulterers,
like an oven heated by a baker
who needs not stoke the fire
from the kneading to the rising of the dough.
The princes are inflamed with wine
on the day of our king;
so he joins hands
with those who mock him.Exo 32:5; Mat 14:6
For they prepare their heart like an oven
while they lie in wait;
all night their anger smolders;7:6 Literally their baker sleeps
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven,
and they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall;
not one of them calls upon Me.Psa 14:3
Ephraim mixes with the nations;
Ephraim is an unturned cake.2Ki 17:8; Psa 106:35
Foreigners consume his strength,
but he does not notice.
Even his hair is streaked with gray,
but he does not know.Ezk 7:21
Israel’s arrogance testifies against them,
yet they do not return to the LORD their God;
despite all this, they do not seek Him.Hos 5:5
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove —
calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.2Ki 16:7; Hos 5:13; Hos 8:9
As they go, I will spread My net over them;
I will bring them down like birds of the air.
I will chastise them
when I hear them flocking together.7:12 Or I will chastise them according to what was reported against them in the assembly.2Ki 17:4
Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me!
Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me!
Though I would redeem them,
they speak lies against Me.Psa 73:27
They do not cry out to Me from their hearts
when they wail upon their beds.
They slash themselves7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX; see 1 Kings 18:28. Most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together for grain and new wine,
but turn away from Me.Isa 29:13
Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
they plot evil against Me.Isa 42:20
They turn, but not to the Most High;
they are like a faulty bow.
Their leaders will fall by the sword
for the cursing of their tongue;
for this they will be ridiculed
in the land of Egypt.