1When I would heal Israel,

Then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered,

And the wickedness of Samaria,

For they commit falsehood;

And the thief entereth in,

And the troop of robbers maketh a raid without.

2And let them not say to their heart—

I remember all their wickedness;

Now their own doings have beset them about,

They are before My face.

3They make the king glad with their wickedness,

And the princes with their lies.

4They are all adulterers,

As an oven heated by the baker,

Who ceaseth to stir

From the kneading of the dough until it be leavened.

5On the day of our king

The princes make him sick with the heat of wine,

He stretcheth out his hand with scorners.

6For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait;

Their baker sleepeth all the night,

In the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

7They are all hot as an oven,

And devour their judges;

All their kings are fallen,

There is none among them that calleth unto Me.

8Ephraim, he mixeth himself with the peoples;

Ephraim is become a cake not turned.

9Strangers have devoured his strength,

And he knoweth it not;

Yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him,

And he knoweth it not.

10And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face;

But they have not returned unto the Lord their God,

Nor sought Him, for all this.

11And Ephraim is become like a silly dove, without understanding;

They call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12Even as they go, I will spread My net upon them;

I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath been made to hear.

13Woe unto them! for they have strayed from Me;

Destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against Me;

Shall I then redeem them,

Seeing they have spoken lies against Me?

14And they have not cried unto Me with their heart,

Though they wail upon their beds;

They assemble themselves for corn and wine, they rebel against Me.

15Though I have trained and strengthened their arms,

Yet do they devise evil against Me.

16They return, but not upwards;

They are become like a deceitful bow;

Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue;

This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.