Hosea 7:9-16

Foreign nations have eaten up his strength, but he doesn’t know it. Israel is weak and feeble, like an old man, but he doesn’t know it. Israel’s pride will cause their defeat; they will not turn back to the LORD their God or look to him for help in all this. Israel has become like a pigeon— easy to fool and stupid. First they call to Egypt for help. Then they run to Assyria. When they go, I will catch them in a net, I will bring them down like birds from the sky; I will punish them countless times for their evil. How terrible for them because they left me! They will be destroyed, because they turned against me. I want to save them, but they have spoken lies against me. They do not call to me from their hearts. They just lie on their beds and cry. They come together to ask for grain and new wine, but they really turn away from me. Though I trained them and gave them strength, they have made evil plans against me. They did not turn to the Most High God. They are like a loose bow that can’t shoot. Because their leaders brag about their strength, they will be killed with swords, and the people in Egypt will laugh at them.