Hosea 12:7–11

7 The merchant uses dishonest scales

and loves to defraud.

8 Ephraim boasts,

“I am very rich; I have become wealthy.

With all my wealth they will not find in me

any iniquity or sin.”

9 “I have been the Lord your God

ever since you came out of Egypt;

I will make you live in tents again,

as in the days of your appointed festivals.

10 I spoke to the prophets,

gave them many visions

and told parables through them.”

11 Is Gilead wicked?

Its people are worthless!

Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?

Their altars will be like piles of stones

on a plowed field.

7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand:

He loveth to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance:

In all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.

9 And I that am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt

Will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.

10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions,

And used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.

11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity:

They sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal;

Yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

7 But no, the people are like crafty merchants

selling from dishonest scales—

they love to cheat.

8 Israel boasts, “I am rich!

I’ve made a fortune all by myself!

No one has caught me cheating!

My record is spotless!”

9 “But I am the Lord your God,

who rescued you from slavery in Egypt.

And I will make you live in tents again,

as you do each year at the Festival of Shelters.

10 I sent my prophets to warn you

with many visions and parables.”

11 But the people of Gilead are worthless

because of their idol worship.

And in Gilgal, too, they sacrifice bulls;

their altars are lined up like the heaps of stone

along the edges of a plowed field.

7 “A cunning Canaanite!

Deceitful scales are in his hand;

He loves to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said,

‘Surely I have become rich,

I have found wealth for myself;

In all my labors

They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’

9 “But I am the Lord your God,

Ever since the land of Egypt;

I will again make you dwell in tents,

As in the days of the appointed feast.

10 I have also spoken by the prophets,

And have multiplied visions;

I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.”

11 Though Gilead has idols—

Surely they are vanity—

Though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal,

Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.

7 The merchants use dishonest scales;

they like to cheat people.

8 Israel said, “I am rich! I am someone with power!”

All their money will do them no good

because of the sins they have done.

9 “But I am the Lord your God,

who brought you out of Egypt.

I will make you live in tents again

as you used to do on worship days.

10 I spoke to the prophets

and gave them many visions;

through them, I taught my lessons to you.”

11 The people of Gilead are evil,

worth nothing.

Though people sacrifice bulls at Gilgal,

their altars will become like piles of stone

in a plowed field.

7 He is a trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. 8 And Ephraim said, Surely I am become rich, I have found me wealth: in all my labors they shall find in me no iniquity that were sin. 9 But I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt; I will yet again make thee to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast. 10 I have also spoken unto the prophets, and I have multiplied visions; and by the ministry of the prophets have I used similitudes. 11 Is Gilead iniquity? they are altogether false; in Gilgal they sacrifice bullocks; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the field.

7 He is a merchant, balances of deceit are in his hand; he loveth to oppress. 8 And Ephraim saith, Nevertheless I am become rich, I have found me out substance; in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin. 9 But I that am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt will again make thee to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast. 10 And I have spoken to the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and by means of the prophets have I used similitudes. 11 If Gilead is iniquity, surely they are but vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

7 ⸤The Lord says,⸥ “The merchants use dishonest scales. 

They love to cheat people. 

8 The people of Ephraim say, ‘We’re rich. We’ve made a fortune. 

With all this wealth, no one will find us guilty of any sin.’ 

9 I am the Lord your God. 

I brought you out of Egypt. 

I will make you live in tents again 

as you did during your appointed festivals. 

10 I spoke to the prophets and gave them many visions. 

I taught lessons through the prophets.”

11 The people of Gilead are evil. 

They are worthless. 

They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal. 

But their altars will become like piles of rubble 

beside a plowed field. 

7 A merchant loves to extort

with dishonest scales in his hands.

8 But Ephraim says:

“How rich I have become;

I made it all myself.

In all my earnings,

no one can find any crime in me

that I can be punished for!”

9 I have been Yahweh your God

ever since the land of Egypt.

I will make you live in tents again,

as in the festival days.

10 I spoke through the prophets

and granted many visions;

I gave parables through the prophets.

11 Since Gilead is full of evil,

they will certainly come to nothing.

They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;

even their altars will be like heaps of rocks

on the furrows of a field.

7 A trader in whose hands are false balances,

he loves to oppress.

8 Ephraim has said, “Ah, I am rich;

I have gained wealth for myself;

in all of my gain

no offense has been found in me

that would be sin.”

9 I am the Lord your God

from the land of Egypt;

I will make you live in tents again,

as in the days of the appointed festival.

10 I spoke to the prophets;

it was I who multiplied visions,

and through the prophets I will bring destruction.

11 In Gilead there is iniquity;

they shall surely come to nothing.

In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,

so their altars shall be like stone heaps

on the furrows of the field.

7 The trader, in his hand are scales of deceit;

he loves to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, “Surely, I am rich,

I gained wealth for myself;

in all my toil they have not found guilt in me

that is sin.

9 But I am Yahweh your God

since the land of Egypt;

I will make you live in tents again,

like the days of the appointed festival.

10 I spoke to the prophets;

I myself multiplied revelations

and through the hand of the prophets I will destroy.

11 If in Gilead there is evil,

surely they will come to nothing.

In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,

also their altars will be like stone heaps

on furrows of the field.

7 You are like a trader who uses dishonest scales.

You love to cheat others.

8 People of Ephraim, you brag,

“We are very rich.

We’ve become wealthy.

And no one can prove we sinned

to gain all of this wealth.”

9 The Lord says,

“I am the Lord your God.

I brought you out of Egypt.

But I will make you live in tents again.

That is what you did when you celebrated

the Feast of Booths in the desert.

10 I spoke to the prophets.

They saw many visions.

I gave you warnings through them.”

11 The people of Gilead are evil!

They aren’t worth anything!

Gilgal’s people sacrifice bulls to other gods.

Their altars will become like piles of stones

on a plowed field.

7 A merchant, in whose hands are false balances,

He loves to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich,

I have found wealth for myself;

In all my labors they will find in me

No iniquity, which would be sin.”

9 But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;

I will make you live in tents again,

As in the days of the appointed festival.

10 I have also spoken to the prophets,

And I gave numerous visions,

And through the prophets I gave parables.

11 Is there iniquity in Gilead?

Surely they are worthless.

In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,

Yes, their altars are like the stone heaps

Beside the furrows of the field.