New International Version

New King James Version

whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
and the crimes of Samaria revealed.
They practice deceit,
thieves break into houses,
bandits rob in the streets;

1

Israel Has Rebelled Against God

“When I would have healed Israel,
Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered,
And the wickedness of Samaria.
For they have committed fraud;
A thief comes in;
A band of robbers [a]takes spoil outside.

2

but they do not realize
that I remember all their evil deeds.
Their sins engulf them;
they are always before me.

2

They [b]do not consider in their hearts
That I remember all their wickedness;
Now their own deeds have surrounded them;
They are before My face.

3

“They delight the king with their wickedness,
the princes with their lies.

3

They make a king glad with their wickedness,
And princes with their lies.

4

They are all adulterers,
burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
from the kneading of the dough till it rises.

4

“They are all adulterers.
Like an oven heated by a baker —
He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough,
Until it is leavened.

5

On the day of the festival of our king
the princes become inflamed with wine,
and he joins hands with the mockers.

5

In the day of our king
Princes have made him sick, [c]inflamed with wine;
He stretched out his hand with scoffers.

6

Their hearts are like an oven;
they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

6

They prepare their heart like an oven,
While they lie in wait;
[d]Their baker sleeps all night;
In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.

7

All of them are hot as an oven;
they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,
and none of them calls on me.

7

They are all hot, like an oven,
And have devoured their judges;
All their kings have fallen.
None among them calls upon Me.

8

“Ephraim mixes with the nations;
Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.

8

“Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples;
Ephraim is a cake unturned.

9

Foreigners sap his strength,
but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
but he does not notice.

9

Aliens have devoured his strength,
But he does not know it;
Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him,
Yet he does not know it.

10

Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,
but despite all this
he does not return to the Lord his God
or search for him.

10

And the pride of Israel testifies to his face,
But they do not return to the Lord their God,
Nor seek Him for all this.

11

“Ephraim is like a dove,
easily deceived and senseless —
now calling to Egypt,
now turning to Assyria.

11

Futile Reliance on the Nations

“Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without [e]sense —
They call to Egypt,
They go to Assyria.

12

When they go, I will throw my net over them;
I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
I will catch them.

12

Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them;
I will bring them down like birds of the air;
I will chastise them
According to what their congregation has heard.

13

Woe to them,
because they have strayed from me!
Destruction to them,
because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
but they speak about me falsely.

13

“Woe to them, for they have fled from Me!
Destruction to them,
Because they have transgressed against Me!
Though I redeemed them,
Yet they have spoken lies against Me.

14

They do not cry out to me from their hearts
but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,a appealing to their gods
for grain and new wine,
but they turn away from me.

14

They did not cry out to Me with their heart
When they wailed upon their beds.
“They [f]assemble together for grain and new wine,
[g]They rebel against Me;

15

I trained them and strengthened their arms,
but they plot evil against me.

15

Though I disciplined and strengthened their arms,
Yet they devise evil against Me;

16

They do not turn to the Most High;
they are like a faulty bow.
Their leaders will fall by the sword
because of their insolent words.
For this they will be ridiculed
in the land of Egypt.

16

They return, but not [h]to the Most High;
They are like a treacherous bow.
Their princes shall fall by the sword
For the cursings of their tongue.
This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Parallel

New International Version

New King James Version

Hosea 7

Hosea 7