³ “They make the king happy with their wickedness;
    their ·rulers [princes] are glad with their lies.
⁴ But all of them are ·traitors [^Ladulterers].
    They are like an oven heated by a baker.
·While he mixes the dough [^LFrom the kneading of the dough until it is leavened],
    he does not need to stir up the fire.
⁵ The kings get so drunk they get sick ·every day [or on the festival day; ^Lon the day].
    The ·rulers [princes] become ·crazy [inflamed] with wine;
    they ·make agreements [conspire; ^Lstretch out their hands] with ·those who do not know the true God [mockers; scoffers].
⁶ Their hearts burn like an oven;
    as they plot [^Can assassination] against him.
All night long their anger ·is low [smolders],
    but when morning comes, it becomes a roaring fire.
⁷ All ·these people [^Lof them] are as hot as an oven;
    they ·burn up [consume; devour] their rulers.
All their kings fall,
    and no one calls on me.

⁸ “·Israel [^LEphraim; 4:17] mixes with other nations;
    he is like a ·pancake [cake; flat loaf] ·cooked only on one side [or burned on one side; ^Lnot turned].
⁹ ·Foreign nations [Strangers; Foreigners] have ·eaten up [devoured; sapped] his strength,
    but he doesn’t know it.
·Israel is weak and feeble, like an old man [^LGrey hair is scattered on him],
    but he doesn’t know it.
¹⁰ Israel’s ·pride [arrogance] ·will cause their defeat [or testifies against him; ^Lanswers in his face];
    they will not ·turn back [return] to the Lord their God
    or ·look to him for help [^Lseek him] in all this.
¹¹ Israel has become like a ·pigeon [dove]—
    ·easy to fool [silly] and ·stupid [senseless].
First they call to Egypt for help.
    Then they ·run [turn; go] to Assyria.
¹² When they go, I will ·catch them in a net [throw my net over them],
    I will bring them down like birds from the sky;
    I will ·punish [discipline] them ·countless times for their evil [or when I hear them flocking together; or according to the report given to the congregation].
¹³ ·How terrible for [^LWoe to] them because they ·left [fled/strayed from] me!
    They will be destroyed, because they ·turned [rebelled] against me.
I want to ·save [redeem] them,
    but they have spoken lies against me.
¹⁴ They do not ·call [cry out] to me from their hearts.
    They just lie on their beds and ·cry [wail].
They ·come together [assemble themselves; or gash/slash themselves; ^Ca ritual practiced by pagan Canaanite priests (Deut. 14:1; 1 Kin. 18:28; Jer. 16:6)] to ask for grain and new wine,
    but they really ·turn away from [rebel against] me.
¹⁵ Though I trained them and ·gave them strength [^Lstrengthened their arms],
    they have ·made evil plans [plotted evil] against me.
¹⁶ They ·did not turn to [or turn, but not to] the Most High God.
    They are like a ·loose bow that can’t shoot [faulty bow].
Because ·their leaders brag about their strength [of their indignant/insolent tongue],
    they will ·be killed with swords [fall by the sword],
and the people in Egypt
    will ·laugh at [ridicule; deride] them.