But they do not consider is literally “And they do not speak to their heart,” which means they never realize or stop to think about something. Good News Translation uses an equivalent English idiom: “It never enters their heads.” The translator should consider whether the receptor language has an appropriate idiom. But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction, which introduces something unexpected here.

That I remember all their evil works refers to a general, ongoing activity in Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation expresses it as a future action: “that I will remember all this evil.” Translators may use a tense that fits the situation of constantly remembering, now and always, what evil God’s people have done. In this context remember can also be translated “know” or “keep in mind.” Good News Translation renders all their evil works as “all this evil” to make clear that it refers to the sins just mentioned in 7.1.

Now their deeds encompass them …: The Hebrew adverb rendered Now introduces the current situation of the Israelites. However, here it can also serve as a discourse marker, introducing the consequences of their evil behavior. What follows is a rather deplorable conclusion.

Their deeds encompass them (Good News Translation “their sins surround them”) indicates that their sins are many, that they place the people in danger, and that they are trapped by their sins so that they cannot escape. A verb such as “entangle” is less neutral and makes the negative consequences explicit. Bible en français courant says “they are prisoners of their own misdeeds.”

They are before my face is expressed by Good News Translation as “and I cannot avoid seeing them,” meaning “they are very obvious to me.” New Jerusalem Bible says “and stare me in the face.” However, the Hebrew verb rendered are can also mean “occur” (Wolff), and this emphasizes the idea that God sees the sins as they happen, not merely that God sees the record of sin. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “which they have committed in defiance of me.” Translators may use an interpretation here that best fits the way sin is discussed in the receptor language.

A translation model for this verse is:

• But it never occurs to them
that I keep all their wickedness in mind.
So now their evil deeds entangle them,
I always see them right in front of me.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .