Hosea 7:8-16

Israel's people refuse to change

8 ‘Ephraim's people have mixed themselves with people of other nations.

So they have become useless,

like bread that is not properly cooked.

9 Foreign people have taken away Israel's strength.

But the Israelites do not realize what is happening!

They have become like an old man with grey hair.

But they do not realize how weak they are.

10 Israel's people are too proud to change.

This shows that they are guilty.

They still refuse to turn back to me, the Lord their God.

In all their troubles, they do not look for my help.

11 Ephraim has become like a silly dove.

He cannot decide where to go.

The Israelites ask Egypt to help them.

Then they decide to ask Assyria instead.

12 When they fly around like that,

I will throw my net over them.

I will catch them like birds that fly in the sky.

I will punish them as they join together to do evil things.

13  Terrible trouble will happen to them,

because they have gone away from me.

They have turned against me, so they will die.

I wanted to rescue them,

but they have told lies about me.

14 They do not pray and trust me to help them.

Instead, they lie down on their beds and they weep loudly.

They cut their bodies to get grain and wine.

They turn away from me.

15 I taught them what was right.

I made them strong.

But now they have decided to do evil things against me.

16 They do not look up to me for help.

They are as useless as a bow that cannot shoot an arrow properly.

Their leaders are proud of their own strength,

but they will die in battle.

Then the people of Egypt will laugh at them.’