1 “ Whenever I would heal Israel, I see the sin of Ephraim and the wrong-doing of Samaria. They are false in their ways. The robber breaks into houses, and sinful men rob in the streets.

¶ When I was healing Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they worked deceit; and the thief comes in, and the troop of robbers spoils without.

2 T hey do not think about how I remember all the sinful things they do. Their sins are all around them, and are always before Me.

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

3 T hey make the king glad with their wrong-doing, and the leaders with their lies.

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

4 N one of them are faithful. They are like a hot stove whose fire the bread-maker leaves alone from the time he makes the dough until the bread rises.

They are all adulterers as an oven heated by the baker who shall cease from waking after he has kneaded the dough until it is leavened.

5 O n the special day of our king the leaders became drunk with wine. He joined hands with those who laughed at the truth.

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

6 T heir hearts are like a hot stove as they make their plans. Their anger smokes all night, and in the morning it burns like a hot fire.

For they have made ready their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; their baker sleeps all night; in the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

7 A ll of them are hot like a stove, and they destroy their leaders. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls to Me for help. Israel Cannot Depend on the Nations

They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen; there is no one among them that calls unto me.

8 “ Ephraim mixes with the nations. Ephraim is a cake not turned.

¶ Ephraim, he has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9 S trangers destroy his strength, yet he does not know it. White hairs come upon him, yet he does not know it.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he does not know it; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he does not understand.

10 I srael’s pride speaks against him, yet they do not return to the Lord their God. Even for all this, they do not look for Him.

And the pride of Israel shall testify to his face, and they have not returned to the LORD their God, nor have they sought him with all this.

11 E phraim is like a foolish dove that is not able to think. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

Ephraim also was like a deceived dove, without understanding; they shall call to Egypt, they shall go to Assyria.

12 W hen they go, I will spread My net over them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will punish them for the sinful things they have done.

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 according to what has been heard in their congregations.

13 I t is bad for them, for they have turned away from Me! They will be destroyed, for they would not obey Me! I would save them and make them free, but they speak lies against Me.

Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction upon them! because they have rebelled against me; though I have ransomed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 T hey do not cry out to Me from their heart when they cry on their beds. They come together for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.

And they have not cried unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds; they congregated themselves for the wheat and the wine, and they rebelled against me.

15 I taught them and gave strength to their arms, yet they make sinful plans against Me.

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

16 T hey do not turn to the Most High. They are like a bow that does not work right. Their leaders will be killed by the sword because of their proud words. And those in the land of Egypt will laugh at them.

They returned, but not to the most High; they were like a deceitful bow; their princes fell by the sword for the arrogance of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.