Hosea 12:7–14

A merchant, in whose hands are false balances,

he loves to oppress.

Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich;

I have found wealth for myself;

in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”

I am the Lord your God

from the land of Egypt;

I will again make you dwell in tents,

as in the days of the appointed feast.

I spoke to the prophets;

it was I who multiplied visions,

and through the prophets gave parables.

If there is iniquity in Gilead,

they shall surely come to nothing:

in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;

their altars also are like stone heaps

on the furrows of the field.

Jacob fled to the land of Aram;

there Israel served for a wife,

and for a wife he guarded sheep.

By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,

and by a prophet he was guarded.

Ephraim has given bitter provocation;

so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him

and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.

The merchant uses dishonest scales

and loves to defraud.

Ephraim boasts,

“I am very rich; I have become wealthy.

With all my wealth they will not find in me

any iniquity or sin.”

“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.

I spoke to the prophets,

gave them many visions

and told parables through them.”

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.

Jacob fled to the country of Aram;

Israel served to get a wife,

and to pay for her he tended sheep.

The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,

by a prophet he cared for him.

But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;

his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed

and will repay him for his contempt.

A merchant loves to extort

with dishonest scales in his hands.

But Ephraim thinks,

“How rich I have become;

I made it all myself.

In all my earnings,

no one can find any iniquity in me

that I can be punished for!”

I have been the Lord your God

ever since the land of Egypt.

I will make you live in tents again,

as in the festival days.

I will speak through the prophets

and grant many visions;

I will give parables through the prophets.

Since Gilead is full of evil,

they will certainly come to nothing.

They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;

even their altars will be like piles of rocks

on the furrows of a field.

Jacob fled to the territory of Aram.

Israel worked to earn a wife;

he tended flocks for a wife.

The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet,

and Israel was tended by a prophet.

Ephraim has provoked bitter anger,

so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him

and repay him for his contempt.

But no, the people are like crafty merchants

selling from dishonest scales—

they love to cheat.

Israel boasts, “I am rich!

I’ve made a fortune all by myself!

No one has caught me cheating!

My record is spotless!”

“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.

I sent my prophets to warn you

with many visions and parables.”

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.

Jacob fled to the land of Aram,

and there he earned a wife by tending sheep.

Then by a prophet

the Lord brought Jacob’s descendants out of Egypt;

and by that prophet

they were protected.

But the people of Israel

have bitterly provoked the Lord,

so their Lord will now sentence them to death

in payment for their sins.

The trader, in his hand are scales of deceit;

he loves to oppress.

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.

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.

I spoke to the prophets;

I myself multiplied revelations

and through the hand of the prophets I will destroy.

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.

Jacob fled to the open field of Aram,

and Israel served for a wife,

and for a wife he watched over sheep.

And by a prophet Yahweh brought

Israel up from Egypt,

and by a prophet

he was watched over.

Ephraim has caused bitter provocation,

and his Lord will hold him responsible for his crimes

and pay back to him his insults.

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

He loveth to oppress.

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.

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.

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

And used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.

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.

And Jacob fled into the country of Syria,

And Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,

And by a prophet was he preserved.

Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly:

Therefore shall he leave his blood upon him,

And his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.