Hosea

Hosea 7 ©

1 Israel reproved for manifold sins. 11 God's wrath against them for their hypocrisy.

1

WHEN aI would have healed Israel, then bthe iniquity of Ephraim was *discovered, and the 1wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers 2spoileth *without.

2

And they 3consider not in their hearts that cI remember all their wickedness: dnow their own doings have ebeset them about; they are fbefore my face.

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gThey make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

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hThey are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, 4who ceaseth 5from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be *leavened.

5

In ithe day of our king the princes have made him jsick with 6bottles of wine; he kstretched out his hand with scorners.

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For lthey have 7made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

7

They are all hot as an oven, mand have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: nthere is none among them that calleth unto me.

8

Ephraim, ohe hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is pa cake not turned.

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qStrangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are 8here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

10

And the rpride of Israel testifieth to his face: and sthey do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

11

¶Ephraim also is tlike a *silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12

When they shall go, uI will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I vwill chastise them, was their congregation hath heard.

13

xWoe unto them! for they have fled from me: 9destruction unto them! ybecause they have transgressed against me: though zI have redeemed them, yet they have spoken alies against me.

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And bthey have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: cthey assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

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dThough I have 10bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they eimagine mischief against me.

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fThey return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the grage of their tongue: this shall be their derision hin the land of Egypt.