1 When I was healing Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they worked deceit; and the thief comes in, and the troop of robbers spoils without. 2 And they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness; now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face. 3 They make the king glad with their wickedness and the princes with their lies. 4 They are all adulterers as an oven heated by the baker who shall cease from waking after he has kneaded the dough until it is leavened. 5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with a wineskin; he stretched out his hand with the scorners. 6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; their baker sleeps all night; in the morning it burns as a flaming fire. 7 They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen; there is no one among them that calls unto me.
8 Ephraim, he has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he does not know it; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he does not understand. 10 And the pride of Israel shall testify to his face, and they have not returned to the LORD their God, nor have they sought him with all this.
11 Ephraim also was like a deceived dove, without understanding; they shall call to Egypt, they shall go to Assyria. 12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them according to what has been heard in their congregations. 13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction upon them! because they have rebelled against me; though I have ransomed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds; they congregated themselves for the wheat and the wine, and they rebelled against me. 15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet they imagine evil against me. 16 They returned, but not to the most High; they were like a deceitful bow; their princes fell by the sword for the arrogance of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.