Ephraim’s Iniquity

1 When I awould heal Israel,

The iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered,

And the evil deeds of Samaria,

For they deal bfalsely;

The thief enters in,

cBandits raid outside,

2 And they do not 1consider in their hearts

That I aremember all their wickedness.

Now their bdeeds are all around them;

They are before My face.

3 aWith their wickedness they make the bking glad,

And the princes with their clies.

4 They are aall adulterers,

Like an oven heated by the baker

Who ceases to stir up the fire

From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.

5 On the 1day of our king, the princes abecame sick with the heat of wine;

He stretched out his hand with bscoffers,

6 For their hearts are like an aoven

As they approach their 1plotting;

Their 2anger 3smolders all night,

In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.

7 All of them are hot like an oven,

And they consume their arulers;

All their kings have fallen.

bNone of them calls on Me.

8 Ephraim amixes himself with the 1nations;

Ephraim has become a cake not turned.

9 aStrangers devour his strength,

Yet he bdoes not know it;

Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him,

Yet he does not know it.

10 Though the apride of Israel testifies against him,

Yet bthey have not returned to the Lord their God,

Nor have they sought Him, for all this.

11 So aEphraim has become like a silly dove, bwithout 1sense;

They call to cEgypt, they go to dAssyria.

12 When they go, I will aspread My net over them;

I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.

I will bchastise them in accordance with the 1proclamation to their assembly.

13 aWoe to them, for they have bstrayed from Me!

Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!

I cwould redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.

14 And athey do not cry to Me from their heart

When they wail on their beds;

For the sake of grain and new wine they 1bassemble themselves,

They cturn away from Me.

15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms,

Yet they adevise evil against Me.

16 They turn, but not 1upward,

They are like a adeceitful bow;

Their princes will fall by the sword

Because of the 2binsolence of their tongue.

This will be their cderision in the land of Egypt.