Moff HOS Chapter 7

◄ HOS 7 ► ║ ═ ©

7 when I would fain heal Israel,

then Ephraim’s guilt is clear,

Samaria’s crimes appear.

Thieves break into houses,

bandits roam abroad.

2 No one of them ever reflects

that I will punish all their crime,

that their besetting sins

are ever in my sight.

3 In malice they amuse their king,

in treachery their princes,

4 while anger breathes in all of them

like an oven glowing,

that the baker ceases stirring

till the kneaded dough is leavened

5 On the birthday of “our king”

the princes heat themselves with wine,

revelling with loose fellows, traitorous men,

6 their secret hearts all hot

like ovens with their plot;

all night the intrigue will sleep,

but in the morning out it blazes,

glowing like an oven;

7 they consume their rulers,

all their kings collapse–

not one calls to me.

8 Ephraim allows himself

to be mixed up with foreigners;

Ephraim has become a cake

unturned as it was baked.

9 Foreigners eat away his strength,

unknown to him;

grey hairs are on him here and there,

unknown to him.

10 [[Israel’s pride shall confront them, and yet they will not come back to the Eternal their God, nor seek him, in spite of it all.]]

11 Ephraim is like a silly, simple dove,

crying to Egypt, flying to Assyria;

but as they fly I fling my net on them,

and bring them down like a bird,

punishing them for their misdeeds.

13 Woe betide them for forsaking me!

Death to them for deserting me!

Though it was I who redeemed them,

they have lied to me;

14 they never put their heart into their prayers,

but howl away for corn and wine

beside their altars;

these wilful rebels of mine

15 (though it was I who made them strong)

plan evil, contrary to me;

16 they turn to Baal.

They are like a bow that swerves.

So, for the insolence of their talk

[[their bravado about Egypt]],

their leaders perish by the sword.

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