Hosea 7

Learning to read Hebrew? Start with the alphabet.

Original

Modern

Ephraim’s Iniquity

¹כְּרָפְאִ֣י לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְנִגְלָ֞ה עֲוֺ֤ן אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ וְרָע֣וֹת שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן כִּ֥י פָעֲל֖וּ שָׁ֑קֶר וְגַנָּ֣ב יָב֔וֹא פָּשַׁ֥ט גְּד֖וּד בַּחֽוּץ׃

¹When I heal Israel,

the iniquity of Ephraim^a will be exposed,

as well as the crimes of Samaria.

For they practice deceit and thieves break in;

bandits raid in the streets.

²וּבַל־יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ לִלְבָבָ֔ם כָּל־רָעָתָ֖ם זָכָ֑רְתִּי עַתָּה֙ סְבָב֣וּם מַֽעַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם נֶ֥גֶד פָּנַ֖י הָיֽוּ׃

²But they fail to consider in their hearts

that I remember all their evil.

Now their deeds are all around them;

they are before My face.

³בְּרָעָתָ֖ם יְשַׂמְּחוּ־מֶ֑לֶךְ וּבְכַחֲשֵׁיהֶ֖ם שָׂרִֽים׃

³They delight the king with their evil,

and the princes with their lies.

⁴כֻּלָּם֙ מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים כְּמ֣וֹ תַנּ֔וּר בֹּעֵ֖רָה מֵֽאֹפֶ֑ה יִשְׁבּ֣וֹת מֵעִ֔יר מִלּ֥וּשׁ בָּצֵ֖ק עַד־חֻמְצָתֽוֹ׃

⁴They are all adulterers,

like an oven heated by a baker

who needs not stoke the fire

from the kneading to the rising of the dough.

⁵י֣וֹם מַלְכֵּ֔נוּ הֶחֱל֥וּ שָׂרִ֖ים חֲמַ֣ת מִיָּ֑יִן מָשַׁ֥ךְ יָד֖וֹ אֶת־לֹצְצִֽים׃

⁵The princes are inflamed with wine

on the day of our king;

so he joins hands

with those who mock him.

⁶כִּֽי־קֵרְב֧וּ כַתַּנּ֛וּר לִבָּ֖ם בְּאָרְבָּ֑ם כָּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ יָשֵׁ֣ן אֹֽפֵהֶ֔ם בֹּ֕קֶר ה֥וּא בֹעֵ֖ר כְּאֵ֥שׁ לֶהָבָֽה׃

⁶For they prepare their heart like an oven

while they lie in wait;

all night their anger smolders;^a

in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

⁷כֻּלָּ֤ם יֵחַ֙מּוּ֙ כַּתַּנּ֔וּר וְאָכְל֖וּ אֶת־שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶ֑ם כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶ֣ם נָפָ֔לוּ אֵין־קֹרֵ֥א בָהֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃

⁷All of them are hot as an oven,

and they devour their rulers.

All their kings fall;

not one of them calls upon Me.

⁸אֶפְרַ֕יִם בָּעַמִּ֖ים ה֣וּא יִתְבּוֹלָ֑ל אֶפְרַ֛יִם הָיָ֥ה עֻגָ֖ה בְּלִ֥י הֲפוּכָֽה׃

⁸Ephraim mixes with the nations;

Ephraim is an unturned cake.

⁹אָכְל֤וּ זָרִים֙ כֹּח֔וֹ וְה֖וּא לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע גַּם־שֵׂיבָה֙ זָ֣רְקָה בּ֔וֹ וְה֖וּא לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃

⁹Foreigners consume his strength,

but he does not notice.

Even his hair is streaked with gray,

but he does not know.

¹⁰וְעָנָ֥ה גְאֽוֹן־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָנָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־שָׁ֙בוּ֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א בִקְשֻׁ֖הוּ בְּכָל־זֹֽאת׃

¹⁰Israel’s arrogance testifies against them,

yet they do not return to the LORD their God;

despite all this, they do not seek Him.

¹¹וַיְהִ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם כְּיוֹנָ֥ה פוֹתָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לֵ֑ב מִצְרַ֥יִם קָרָ֖אוּ אַשּׁ֥וּר הָלָֽכוּ׃

¹¹So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—

calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.

¹²כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵלֵ֗כוּ אֶפְר֤וֹשׂ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ רִשְׁתִּ֔י כְּע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם אֽוֹרִידֵ֑ם אַיְסִרֵ֕ם כְּשֵׁ֖מַע לַעֲדָתָֽם׃ס

¹²As they go, I will spread My net over them;

I will bring them down like birds of the air.

I will chastise them

when I hear them flocking together.^a

¹³א֤וֹי לָהֶם֙ כִּֽי־נָדְד֣וּ מִמֶּ֔נִּי שֹׁ֥ד לָהֶ֖ם כִּֽי־פָ֣שְׁעוּ בִ֑י וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶפְדֵּ֔ם וְהֵ֕מָּה דִּבְּר֥וּ עָלַ֖י כְּזָבִֽים׃

¹³Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me!

Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me!

Though I would redeem them,

they speak lies against Me.

¹⁴וְלֹֽא־זָעֲק֤וּ אֵלַי֙ בְּלִבָּ֔ם כִּ֥י יְיֵלִ֖ילוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם עַל־דָּגָ֧ן וְתִיר֛וֹשׁ יִתְגּוֹרָ֖רוּ יָס֥וּרוּ בִֽי׃

¹⁴They do not cry out to Me from their hearts

when they wail upon their beds.

They slash themselves^a for grain and new wine,

but turn away from Me.

¹⁵וַאֲנִ֣י יִסַּ֔רְתִּי חִזַּ֖קְתִּי זְרֽוֹעֹתָ֑ם וְאֵלַ֖י יְחַשְּׁבוּ־רָֽע׃

¹⁵Although I trained and strengthened their arms,

they plot evil against Me.

¹⁶יָשׁ֣וּבוּ׀ לֹ֣א עָ֗ל הָיוּ֙ כְּקֶ֣שֶׁת רְמִיָּ֔ה יִפְּל֥וּ בַחֶ֛רֶב שָׂרֵיהֶ֖ם מִזַּ֣עַם לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם ז֥וֹ לַעְגָּ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

¹⁶They turn, but not to the Most High;

they are like a faulty bow.

Their leaders will fall by the sword

for the cursing of their tongue;

for this they will be ridiculed

in the land of Egypt.