1 ¶ When I want to heal Israel, then the sin of Ephraim shows itself, along with the wickedness of Samaria: for they practice deceit; and break in as thieves, while a gang of robbers plunders without.

2 And they do not think about the fact that I remember all their wickedness: now their wrongdoing is all around them; and right in front of me.

3 They delight the king with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker, who waits for the dough to rise after he has kneaded it, until it is leavened.

5 On the birthday of our king the princes made him warm with bottles of wine; and he stretched out his hand to lawless men.

6 For their heart burns like an oven, while they lie in wait: their anger smolders all night long; and in the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

7 They are all as hot as an oven, and devour their rulers; all their kings have fallen: and there is no one among them who calls on me.

8 ¶ Ephraim, mixes with other nations; Ephraim is like a griddlecake that has not been turned.

9 Strangers devour his strength, and he does not realize it: yea, gray hairs are on him here and there, but he is not aware of it.

10 And the pride of Israel testifies against them: yet they do not return to the LORD their God, or seek him for all this.

11 Ephraim is also like a silly dove without sense: they call to Egypt, they run to Assyria.

12 As soon as they run, I spread my net over them; and bring them down like the birds of the air; I will chastise them, as their congregation has been told.

13 Woe to them! for they have fled from me: destruction is theirs! because they have transgressed against me: although I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 They have not cried out to me from their heart, but they wail upon their beds: they slash themselves over grain and wine, but they rebel against me.

15 Though I have trained and strengthened their arms, they devise evil against me.

16 They return, but not to the most High: they are like a warped bow: the sword will strike down their leaders for the insolence of their tongues: and they will be ridiculed for this in the land of Egypt.