﻿Hosea.
Chapter 7.
“When I would heal Israel, Ephraim’s iniquity and Samaria’s evil deeds are exposed. For they practice deceit: a thief breaks in, and a band of robbers raids outside. 
They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face. 
With their wickedness they make the king glad, and with their lies the princes. 
They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker, who stops stirring the fire from the kneading of the dough until it has risen. 
On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine. He stretched out his hand with scoffers. 
They have made their heart ready like an oven while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all night; in the morning it burns like a blazing fire. 
They are all hot as an oven, and they devour their judges. All their kings have fallen; not one of them calls on me. 
Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake that has not been turned. 
Foreigners have devoured his strength, but he does not know it. Gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, but he does not know it. 
Israel’s pride testifies against him, yet they have not returned to the LORD their God or sought him in all this. 
Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt; they go to Assyria. 
As they go, I will spread my net over them and bring them down like the birds of the heavens. I will discipline them according to what their congregation has heard. 
Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction upon them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they have spoken lies against me. 
They have not cried to me from their hearts, but they wail on their beds. They gather for grain and new wine, and turn away from me. 
I trained and strengthened their arms, but they plot evil against me. 
They turn, but not upward. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongues. For this they will be mocked in the land of Egypt.” 
