Hosea 12–13

God’s Case against Jacob’s Heirs

12Ephraim chases ^othe wind ^p

and pursues the east wind. ^q

He continually multiplies lies and violence.

He makes a covenant with Assyria, ^r

and olive oil is carried to Egypt. ^s

²The Lord also has a dispute with Judah.

He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways; ^t

He will repay him based on his actions.

³In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, ^u

and as an adult he wrestled with God. ^v

⁴Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed;

he wept and sought His favor. ^w

He found him ^xat Bethel, ^y

and there He spoke with him. ^za

⁵Yahweh is the God of Hosts;

Yahweh is His name. ^b

⁶But you must return to your God. ^c

Maintain love and justice, ^d

and always put your hope in God. ^e

⁷A merchant loves to extort ^f

with dishonest scales in his hands. ^g

⁸But Ephraim says:

“How rich I have become; ^h

I made it all myself.

In all my earnings,

no one can find any crime in me ⁱ

that I can be punished for!” ^j

Judgment on Apostate Israel

⁹I have been Yahweh your God

ever since ^kthe land of Egypt. ^l

I will make you live in tents again, ^m

as in the festival days.

¹⁰I spoke through the prophets ⁿ

and granted many visions;

I gave parables through the prophets. ^o

¹¹Since Gilead is full of evil, ^p

they will certainly come to nothing.

They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; ^q

even their altars will be like heaps of rocks ^r

on the furrows of a field.

Further Indictment of Jacob’s Heirs

¹²Jacob fled to the land of Aram. ^s

Israel worked to earn a wife; ^t

he tended flocks for a wife. ^u

¹³The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, ^v

and Israel was tended by a prophet.

¹⁴Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, ^w

so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him ^x

and repay him for his contempt. ^y

13When Ephraim spoke, ^zthere was trembling;

he was exalted in Israel. ^a

But he incurred guilt through Baal ^band died.

²Now they continue to sin

and make themselves a cast image, ^c

idols skillfully made from their silver, ^d

all of them the work of craftsmen. ^e

People say about them,

“Let the men who sacrifice ^fkiss the calves.” ^g

³Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, ^h

like the early dew that vanishes,

like chaff blown from a threshing floor, ⁱ

or like smoke from a window. ^j

Death and Resurrection

⁴I have been Yahweh your God ^k

ever since ^lthe land of Egypt;

you know no God but Me, ^m

and no Savior exists besides Me. ⁿ

⁵I knew ^oyou in the wilderness, ^p

in the land of drought.

⁶When they had pasture,

they became satisfied; ^q

they were satisfied,

and their hearts became proud. ^r

Therefore they forgot Me. ^s

⁷So I will be like a lion ^tto them;

I will lurk like a leopard ^uon the path.

⁸I will attack them

like a bear robbed of her cubs

and tear open the rib cage over their hearts.

I will devour them there like a lioness, ^v

like a wild beast that would rip them open.

⁹I will destroy you, Israel;

you have no help but Me. ^wx

¹⁰Where now is your king, ^yz

that he may save you in all your cities,

and the ^arulers ^bcyou demanded, saying,

“Give me a king and leaders”?

¹¹I give you a king in My anger ^d

and take away a king in My wrath. ^e

¹²Ephraim’s guilt is preserved;

his sin is stored up. ^f

¹³Labor pains come on him. ^g

He is not a wise son; ^h

when the time comes,

he will not be born. ^ij

¹⁴I will ransom them from the power of Sheol.

I will redeem ^kthem from death. ^l

Death, where are your barbs?

Sheol, where is your sting? ^m

Compassion is hidden from My eyes. ⁿ

The Coming Judgment

¹⁵Although he flourishes among his brothers, ^op

an east wind will come, ^q

a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert.

His water source will fail,

and his spring will run dry. ^r

The wind ^swill plunder the treasury ^t

of every precious item.

^16uSamaria ^vwill bear her guilt ^w

because she has rebelled against her God. ^x

They will fall by the sword; ^y

their little ones will be dashed to pieces, ^z

and their pregnant women ripped open. ^a