Bible in Basic English
They are all untrue; they are like a burning oven; the bread-maker does not make up the fire from the time when the paste is mixed till it is leavened.
On the day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.
For they have made their hearts ready like an oven, while they are waiting secretly; their wrath is sleeping all night; in the morning it is burning like a flaming fire.
They are all heated like an oven, and they put an end to their judges; all their kings have been made low; not one among them makes prayer to me.
Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Men from other lands have made waste his strength, and he is not conscious of it; grey hairs have come on him here and there, and he has no knowledge of it.
And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; but for all this, they have not gone back to the Lord their God, or made search for him.
And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
When they go, my net will be stretched out over them; I will take them like the birds of heaven, I will give them punishment, I will take them away in the net for their sin.
May trouble be theirs! for they have gone far away from me; and destruction, for they have been sinning against me; I was ready to be their saviour, but they said false words against me.
And they have not made prayer to me in their hearts, but they make loud cries on their beds; they are cutting themselves for food and wine, they are turned against me.
Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.
They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.
— Hosea 7:4-1964, Bible in Basic English
“They 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. At the celebration of their king, his princes become inflamed with wine; they conspire with evildoers. They 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. All of them are blazing like an oven; they devour their rulers. All of their kings fall– and none of them call on me! Israel Lacks Discernment and Refuses to Repent Ephraim has mixed itself like flour among the nations; Ephraim is like a ruined cake of bread that is scorched on one side. Foreigners 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! The 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! Israel Turns to Assyria and Egypt for Help Ephraim has been like a dove, easily deceived and lacking discernment. They called to Egypt for help; they turned to Assyria for protection. I 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. Israel Has Turned Away from the Lord Woe 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. They 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. Although I trained and strengthened them, they plot evil against me! They 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.”
When my desire was for the fate of my people to be changed and to make Israel well, then the sin of Ephraim was made clear, and the evil-doing of Samaria; for their ways are false, and the thief comes into the house, while the band of outlaws takes property by force in the streets.
And they do not say to themselves that I keep in mind all their sin; now their evil acts come round them on every side; they are before my face.
In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.
They are all untrue; they are like a burning oven; the bread-maker does not make up the fire from the time when the paste is mixed till it is leavened.
On the day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.
For they have made their hearts ready like an oven, while they are waiting secretly; their wrath is sleeping all night; in the morning it is burning like a flaming fire.
They are all heated like an oven, and they put an end to their judges; all their kings have been made low; not one among them makes prayer to me.
Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Men from other lands have made waste his strength, and he is not conscious of it; grey hairs have come on him here and there, and he has no knowledge of it.
And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; but for all this, they have not gone back to the Lord their God, or made search for him.
And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
When they go, my net will be stretched out over them; I will take them like the birds of heaven, I will give them punishment, I will take them away in the net for their sin.
May trouble be theirs! for they have gone far away from me; and destruction, for they have been sinning against me; I was ready to be their saviour, but they said false words against me.
And they have not made prayer to me in their hearts, but they make loud cries on their beds; they are cutting themselves for food and wine, they are turned against me.
Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.
They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.