When I would heal Israel, then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers {Or, maketh a raid}ravageth without.
And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now have their own doings beset them about; they are before my face.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
They are all adulterers; they are as an oven heated by the baker; he ceaseth to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it be leavened.
On the day of our king the princes made {Or, him}themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with scoffers.
For they have {Hebrew: brought near.}made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
Ephraim, he mixeth himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are {Hebrew: sprinkled.}here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not.
And the {Or, excellency}pride of Israel doth testify to his face: yet they have not returned unto Jehovah their God, nor sought him, for all this.
And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without {Hebrew: heart.}understanding: they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.
When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the heavens; I will chastise them, {Or, when the report cometh to their congregation}as their congregation hath heard.
Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have trespassed against me: though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
And they have not cried unto me with their heart, but they howl upon their beds: they assemble themselves for grain and new wine; they rebel against me.
Though I have {Or, chastened them}taught and strengthened their arms, yet do they devise mischief against me.
They return, but not to him that is on 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.
Querverweise zu Hosea 7,4 Hos 7,4
There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
For they have {Hebrew: brought near.}made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, departing from under their God.
They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
How can I pardon thee? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had {Or, according to another reading, made them swear}fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses;
they were as fed horses roaming at large; every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.
Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
Ye {That is, who break your marriage vow to God.}adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.