| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1whenever I would heal Israel, the sins of Ephraim are exposed and the crimes of Samaria revealed. They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets; | 1whenever I want to heal Israel, the sin of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria are exposed. For they do what is wrong; thieves break into houses, and gangs rob people out in the streets. |
| 2but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me. | 2They do not realize that I remember all of their wicked deeds. Their evil deeds have now surrounded them; their sinful deeds are always before me. |
| 3"They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies. | 3The royal advisers delight the king with their evil schemes, the princes make him glad with their lies. |
| 4They are all adulterers, burning like an oven whose fire the baker need not stir from the kneading of the dough till it rises. | 4They are all like bakers, they are like a smoldering oven; they are like a baker who does not stoke the fire until the kneaded dough is ready for baking. |
| 5On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers. | 5At the celebration of their king, his princes become inflamed with wine; they conspire with evildoers. |
| 6Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passion smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. | 6They approach him, all the while plotting against him. Their hearts are like an oven; their anger smolders all night long, but in the morning it bursts into a flaming fire. |
| 7All of them are hot as an oven; they devour their rulers. All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me. | 7All of them are blazing like an oven; they devour their rulers. All of their kings fall--and none of them call on me! |
| 8"Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over. | 8Ephraim has mixed itself like flour among the nations; Ephraim is like a ruined cake of bread that is scorched on one side. |
| 9Foreigners sap his strength, but he does not realize it. His hair is sprinkled with gray, but he does not notice. | 9Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, but he does not recognize it! His head is filled with gray hair, but he does not realize it! |
| 10Israel's arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the LORD his God or search for him. | 10The arrogance of Israel testifies against him, yet they refuse to return to the LORD their God! In spite of all this they refuse to seek him! |
| 11"Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless-- now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria. | 11Ephraim has been like a dove, easily deceived and lacking discernment. They called to Egypt for help; they turned to Assyria for protection. |
| 12When they go, I will throw my net over them; I will pull them down like the birds in the sky. When I hear them flocking together, I will catch them. | 12I will throw my bird net over them while they are flying, I will bring them down like birds in the sky; I will discipline them when I hear them flocking together. |
| 13Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak about me falsely. | 13Woe to them! For they have fled from me! Destruction to them! For they have rebelled against me! I want to deliver them, but they have lied to me. |
| 14They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail on their beds. They slash themselves, appealing to their gods for grain and new wine, but they turn away from me. | 14They do not pray to me, but howl in distress on their beds; They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from me. |
| 15I trained them and strengthened their arms, but they plot evil against me. | 15Although I trained and strengthened them, they plot evil against me! |
| 16They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt. | 16They turn to Baal; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because their prayers to Baal have made me angry. So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt. |
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