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¹ WHEN I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed and the wickedness of Samaria; for they committed falsehood in my presence; and the thief came in, and the robber robbed men in the streets.² And they never said in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness; now their own devices have beset them about; they were before my face.³ They have made the kings glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.⁴ Their rulers are all adulterers, their passion is as an oven heated to bake bread, the baker who kneads the dough ceases from going to the city, and waits until it is leavened.⁵ The day they start to give counsel, the princes begin to become inflamed with wine; they stretch out their hands with wicked men.⁶ Because their heart is hot like an oven with their plots, all night their anger is suppressed; and 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 have fallen; there is none among them who calls upon me.

⁸ Ephraim has mixed himself with Gentiles; Ephraim has become as a loaf of bread which is eaten before it is baked.⁹ Thus strangers have devoured his strength, and he knows it not: yea, gray hairs have grown upon him, yet he knows it not.¹⁰ And the pride of Israel has been humbled in his presence; and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.¹¹ Ephraim also is like a young dove without understanding; they have come to Egypt, they are gone to Assyria.¹² Wherever they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the air; I will chastise them according to the testimony which is heard against them.¹³ Woe to them! for they have fled from me; I will bring misfortune upon them because they have transgressed against me; though I have saved them, yet they have spoken lies against me.¹⁴ And they have not cried unto me with their heart, but they howled upon their beds; they quarrel over wheat and wine, and they have rebelled against me.¹⁵ Though I have disciplined and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.¹⁶ They have perverted themselves for nothing; they have become like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword because of the boldness of their tongue; such shall be their entanglement in the land of Egypt.