Stick with your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let critics malign, let enemies accuse, let the devil do his worst; but see to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you. He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed. He has never bidden you defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood (about yourself) which Satan’s or God’s servants may start to peddle, or to track down every rumor that threatens your reputation. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord. Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motives; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.”
Unknown Author

Bible – English_World – Hosea Chapter 7:1-16.

Index: World English Bible

 

Hosea 7

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7:1 When I would heal Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, Also the wickedness of Samaria; For they commit falsehood, And the thief enters in, And the gang of robbers ravages outside.

7:2 They don’t consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have engulfed them. They are before my face.

7:3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, And the princes with their lies.

7:4 They are all adulterers. They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring, From the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

7:5 On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers.

7:6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, While they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

7:7 They are all hot as an oven, And devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me.

7:8 Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.

7:9 Strangers have devoured his strength, And he doesn’t realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, And he doesn’t realize it.

7:10 The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Yet they haven’t returned to Yahweh their God, Nor sought him, for all this.

7:11 “Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

7:12 When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.

7:13 Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, Yet they have spoken lies against me.

7:14 They haven’t cried to me with their heart, But they howl on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and new wine. They turn away from me.

7:15 Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, Yet they plot evil against me.

7:16 They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.