TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
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Hosea - Chapter 7
Translation and Transliteration of
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1When I would heal Yisrael, The guilt of Efraim reveals itself And the wickedness of Shomron. For they have acted treacherously, With thieves breaking in And bands raiding outside.
אכְּרָפְאִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִגְלָה עֲוׂן אֶפְרַיִם וְרָעוֹת שֹׁמְרוֹן כִּי פָעֲלוּ שָׁקֶר וְגַנָּב יָבוֹא פָּשַׁט גְּדוּד בַּחוּץ׃
2And they do not consider That I remembered all their wickedness. Why, their misdeeds have been all around them, They have been ever before Me.
בוּבַל־יֹאמְרוּ לִלְבָבָם כָּל־רָעָתָם זָכָרְתִּי עַתָּה סְבָבוּם מַעַלְלֵיהֶם נֶגֶד פָּנַי הָיוּ׃
3In malice they make a king merry, And officials in treachery.
גבְּרָעָתָם יְשַׂמְּחוּ־מֶלֶךְ וּבְכַחֲשֵׁיהֶם שָׂרִים׃
4They commit adultery, all of them, Like an oven fired by a baker, Who desists from stoking only From the kneading of the dough to its leavening.
דכֻּלָּם מְנָאֲפִים כְּמוֹ תַנּוּר בֹּעֵרָה מֵאֹפֶה יִשְׁבּוֹת מֵעִיר מִלּוּשׁ בָּצֵק עַד־חֻמְצָתוֹ׃
5The day they made our king sick [And] officials with the poison of wine, He gave his hand to traitors.
היוֹם מַלְכֵּנוּ הֶחֱלוּ שָׂרִים חֲמַת מִיָּיִן מָשַׁךְ יָדוֹ אֶת־לֹצְצִים׃
6For they approach their ambush With their hearts like an oven: Through the night Their baker has slept; In the morning, it flares up Like a blazing fire.
וכִּי־קֵרְבוּ כַתַּנּוּר לִבָּם בְּאָרְבָּם כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה יָשֵׁן אֹפֵהֶם בֹּקֶר הוּא בֹעֵר כְּאֵשׁ לֶהָבָה׃
7They all get heated like an oven And devour their rulers— None of them calls to Me. All their kings have fallen [by their hand].
ku-LAM yay-KHA-mu ka-ta-NUR v'-a-kh'-LU et sho-f'-tay-HEM kol mal-khay-HEM na-FA-lu ayn ko-RAY va-HEM ay-LAI
זכֻּלָּם יֵחַמּוּ כַּתַּנּוּר וְאָכְלוּ אֶת־שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם נָפָלוּ אֵין־קֹרֵא בָהֶם אֵלָי׃
7:7 None of them calls to Me
In its final years, the northern kingdom suffers from political instability, with four kings assassinated in less than fifteen years (746-732 BCE). Chapter 7 describes how the dishonest princes and nobles constantly conspire against their leaders, devouring their judges and killing their kings. Indeed, of the northern kingdom’s seventeen rulers, only eight died naturally. Hoshea criticizes this, but adds poignantly that in the efforts to establish a lasting kingship, no one thought to call upon Hashem, the only King whose protection is guaranteed and everlasting.
8Efraim is among the peoples; He is rotting away. Efraim is like a cake— Incapable of turning.
חאֶפְרַיִם בָּעַמִּים הוּא יִתְבּוֹלָל אֶפְרַיִם הָיָה עֻגָה בְּלִי הֲפוּכָה׃
9Strangers have consumed his strength, But he has taken no notice; Also, mold is scattered over him, But he has taken no notice.
טאָכְלוּ זָרִים כֹּחוֹ וְהוּא לֹא יָדָע גַּם־שֵׂיבָה זָרְקָה בּוֹ וְהוּא לֹא יָדָע׃
10Though Yisrael's pride has been humbled Before his very eyes, They have not turned back To their God Hashem; They have not sought Him In spite of everything.
יוְעָנָה גְאוֹן־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָנָיו וְלֹא־שָׁבוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא בִקְשֻׁהוּ בְּכָל־זֹאת׃
11Instead, Efraim has acted Like a silly dove with no mind: They have appealed to Egypt! They have gone to Assyria!
יאוַיְהִי אֶפְרַיִם כְּיוֹנָה פוֹתָה אֵין לֵב מִצְרַיִם קָרָאוּ אַשּׁוּר הָלָכוּ׃
12When they go, I will spread My net over them, I will bring them down Like birds of the sky; I will chastise them When I hear their bargaining.
יבכַּאֲשֶׁר יֵלֵכוּ אֶפְרוֹשׂ עֲלֵיהֶם רִשְׁתִּי כְּעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם אוֹרִידֵם אַיְסִרֵם כְּשֵׁמַע לַעֲדָתָם׃
13Woe to them For straying from Me; Destruction to them For rebelling against Me! For I was their Redeemer; Yet they have plotted treason against Me.
יגאוֹי לָהֶם כִּי־נָדְדוּ מִמֶּנִּי שֹׁד לָהֶם כִּי־פָשְׁעוּ בִי וְאָנֹכִי אֶפְדֵּם וְהֵמָּה דִּבְּרוּ עָלַי כְּזָבִים׃
14But they did not cry out to Me sincerely As they lay wailing. They debauch over new grain and new wine, They are faithless to Me.
ידוְלֹא־זָעֲקוּ אֵלַי בְּלִבָּם כִּי יְיֵלִילוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם עַל־דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ יִתְגּוֹרָרוּ יָסוּרוּ בִי׃
15I braced, I strengthened their arms, And they plot evil against Me!
טווַאֲנִי יִסַּרְתִּי חִזַּקְתִּי זְרוֹעֹתָם וְאֵלַי יְחַשְּׁבוּ־רָע׃
16They come back; They have been of no use, Like a slack bow. Their officers shall fall by the sword, Because of the stammering of their tongues. Such shall be [the results of] their jabbering In the land of Egypt.
טזיָשׁוּבוּ לֹא עָל הָיוּ כְּקֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה יִפְּלוּ בַחֶרֶב שָׂרֵיהֶם מִזַּעַם לְשׁוֹנָם זוֹ לַעְגָּם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃
