Hosea 12

^*Ephraim^d feeds on the wind;^e

he pursues the east wind all day

and multiplies lies and violence.^f

He makes a treaty with Assyria^g

and sends olive oil to Egypt.^h

The Lord has a chargeⁱ to bring against Judah;^j

he will punish^k Jacob according to his ways

and repay him according to his deeds.^l

In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;^m

as a man he struggledⁿ with God.

He struggled with the angel and overcame him;

he wept and begged for his favor.

He found him at Bethel^o

and talked with him there—

the Lord God Almighty,

the Lord is his name!^p

But you must return^q to your God;

maintain love and justice,^r

and wait for your God always.^s

The merchants use dishonest scales;^t

they love to defraud.

Ephraim boasts,^u

“I am very rich; I have become wealthy.^v

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;^w

I will make you live in tents^x again,

as in the days of your appointed festivals.

I spoke to the prophets,

gave them many visions

and told parables^y through them.”^z

Is Gilead wicked?^a

Its people are worthless!

Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?^b

Their altars will be like piles of stones

on a plowed field.^c

Jacob fled to the country of Aram;^d

Israel served to get a wife,

and to pay for her he tended sheep.^e

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

by a prophet he cared for him.^g

But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;

his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed^h

and will repay him for his contempt.ⁱ