Osee 7

¹When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed, & the malice of Samaria, because they have wrought lying, & the thief hath entered in spoiling, the robber without.

²And lest perhaps they may say in their hearts, that I have remembered all their malice: now have their own inventions compassed them, they have been done before me.

³In their malice they have rejoiced the king: and in their lies the princes.

⁴All they committing adultery, as it were an oven heated of the baker: the city was quiet a little from the commistion of leaven, till the whole was leavened.

⁵The day of our king, the princes began to rage by reason of wine: he stretched out his hand with the scorners.

⁶Because they have applied their heart as an oven, when he lay in wait for them: he slept all the night baking them, in the morning himself heated as a fire of flame.

⁷All were heated as an oven, and have devoured their judges: all their kings are fallen: there is none amongst them that cryeth unto me.

⁸Ephraim himself was mingled in the peoples: Ephraim is become as hearth-baken-bread that is not turned.

⁹Strangers have eaten his strength, & he knew not: yea hoar hairs also were poured out on him, & he was ignorant.

¹⁰And the pride of Israel shall be humbled in his face: neither did they return to the Lord their God, & they have not sought him in all these.

¹¹And Ephraim is become as a dove seduced, not having an heart: they invocated Ægypt, they went to the Assyrians.

¹²And when they shall go forth, I will spread my net upon them: as a fowl of the heaven will I pluck them down, I will beat them according to the hearing of their assembly.

¹³Woe to them, because they have revolted from me: they shall be wasted because they have prevaricated against me: & I redeemed them & they have spoken lies against me.

¹⁴And they have not cried to me in their heart, but they howled in their chambers: upon wheat and wine they chewed the cud, they are revolted from me.

¹⁵And I have taught them, and strengthened their arms: and against me they have thought malice.

¹⁶They returned, that they might be without yoke: they became as a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, for the fury of their tongue. This is their scorning in the Land of Ægypt.