对以色列的最后审判

13 以法莲支派在以色列地位崇高,
他们一开口,人都恐惧颤抖。
但他们却祭拜巴力,自招灭亡。
如今他们作恶日甚,
凭借自己的聪明用银子铸造神像,
但这不过是匠人之作。
人们议论他们说:
“那些献祭的人竟亲吻牛犊偶像!”
他们像晨雾,如转瞬即逝的朝露,
像麦场上飞旋而去的糠秕,
又像窗口冒出的轻烟。

耶和华说:
“自从你们离开埃及以来,
我就是你们的上帝耶和华。
除我以外,你们不可有别的神明;
在我以外,你们也没有别的救主。
我曾在干旱的旷野照顾你们,
但你们吃得饱足以后,
就心高气傲,忘记了我。
因此,我要像狮子攻击你们,
如豹子潜伏在路旁;
我要像一头失了幼崽的母熊冲向你们,
撕裂你们的胸膛;
我要像母狮吞噬你们,
像凶猛的野兽撕碎你们。

“以色列啊,你要灭亡了,
因为你抵挡我,抵挡你的帮助者。
10 你曾求我为你设立君王和首领,
现在拯救你的君王在哪里呢?
在各城管理你的首领在哪里呢?
11 我在愤怒中赐给你君王,
也在愤怒中废黜他们。

12 “以法莲的过犯已被记录在册,
他的罪恶已被储存入库。
13 临产的阵痛要临到他,
但他是毫无智慧的孩子,
分娩之时却不离开母腹。
14 我要把他们从阴间的权势下赎回吗?
我要救他们脱离死亡吗?
死亡啊,你去降灾给他们吧!
阴间啊,你去毁灭他们吧!
我不会再怜悯他们。
15 尽管以法莲在众弟兄中最强盛,
但炙热的东风——耶和华的风要从沙漠刮来,
使清泉枯竭,水井干涸。
他储藏的一切珍宝都要被掳去。
16 撒玛利亚人背叛了他们的上帝,
要担当自己的罪过。
他们将丧身刀下,
他们的孩子要被摔死,
孕妇要被剖腹。”

因拜偶像而荣华尽失

13 从前以法莲一说话,人都战兢。

他原在以色列中居高位,

但后来因事奉巴力犯了罪,就死了。

现在他们犯罪越来越多,

为自己做铸像,

按着自己的技巧,用自己的银子做偶像;

这些都是匠人的手工。

他们论到这些说:“向偶像献祭的人,可以亲吻牛犊。”

因此,他们必像早晨的云雾,

又如易逝的朝露,

又像打谷场上的糠秕被旋风吹去,

又像烟气从烟囱上腾。

因骄傲而忘记主

“自从你出埃及地以来,

我就是耶和华你的 神。

除我以外,你不可承认别的神;

除我以外,再没有拯救者。

我曾在旷野,

在干旱之地,认识你。

但他们得了喂养而饱足,

饱足以后,就心高气傲,

因此忘记了我。

所以我要像狮子临到他们,

像豹子埋伏在路旁。

我要袭击他们,像一只失掉幼熊的母熊,

撕裂他们的胸膛;

在那里我必像一只母狮吞吃他们;

野兽必撕裂他们。

必受极重的刑罚

“以色列啊,我要毁灭你,

谁能帮助你呢(本节在《马索拉文本》的意思不明确;现参照《七十士译本》和其他古译本翻译)?

10 现在你的王在哪里?

让他拯救你吧!

你所有的领袖在哪里?让他们治理你吧!

因为论到他们你曾请求:‘把王和领袖赐给我。’

11 我在忿怒中把王赐给你,

又在烈怒中把他废去。

12 以法莲的罪孽是封着的,

他的罪恶贮藏起来。

13 生产的疼痛要临到他身上,

他却是没有智慧的人,

因为产期到了,他还迟延不破胎而出。

14 我要救赎他们脱离阴间的权势吗?

救赎他们脱离死亡吗?

死亡啊,你的灾害在哪里?

阴间啊,你的毁灭在哪里?

怜悯必从我眼前隐藏起来。

15 他虽然在芦苇中长得茂盛,

但东风必要来到,

耶和华的风要从旷野上来,

他的水泉就干涸,

他的泉源就枯竭。

他所贮藏的一切珍贵器皿,都被掠夺去了。

16 撒玛利亚必承担自己罪的刑罚,

因为他背叛了他的 神。

他们必倒在刀下。

他们的婴孩被摔死,

他们的孕妇必被剖开肚腹。”(本节在《马索拉文本》为14:1)

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

13 When Ephraim spoke, people trembled;(A)
    he was exalted(B) in Israel.
    But he became guilty of Baal worship(C) and died.
Now they sin more and more;
    they make(D) idols for themselves from their silver,(E)
cleverly fashioned images,
    all of them the work of craftsmen.(F)
It is said of these people,
    “They offer human sacrifices!
    They kiss[a](G) calf-idols!(H)
Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears,(I)
    like chaff(J) swirling from a threshing floor,(K)
    like smoke(L) escaping through a window.

“But I have been the Lord your God
    ever since you came out of Egypt.(M)
You shall acknowledge(N) no God but me,(O)
    no Savior(P) except me.
I cared for you in the wilderness,(Q)
    in the land of burning heat.
When I fed them, they were satisfied;
    when they were satisfied, they became proud;(R)
    then they forgot(S) me.(T)
So I will be like a lion(U) to them,
    like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
Like a bear robbed of her cubs,(V)
    I will attack them and rip them open;
like a lion(W) I will devour them—
    a wild animal will tear them apart.(X)

“You are destroyed, Israel,
    because you are against me,(Y) against your helper.(Z)
10 Where is your king,(AA) that he may save you?
    Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
    ‘Give me a king and princes’?(AB)
11 So in my anger I gave you a king,(AC)
    and in my wrath I took him away.(AD)
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up,
    his sins are kept on record.(AE)
13 Pains as of a woman in childbirth(AF) come to him,
    but he is a child without wisdom;
when the time(AG) arrives,
    he doesn’t have the sense to come out of the womb.(AH)

14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;(AI)
    I will redeem them from death.(AJ)
Where, O death, are your plagues?
    Where, O grave, is your destruction?(AK)

“I will have no compassion,
15     even though he thrives(AL) among his brothers.
An east wind(AM) from the Lord will come,
    blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
    and his well dry up.(AN)
His storehouse will be plundered(AO)
    of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria(AP) must bear their guilt,(AQ)
    because they have rebelled(AR) against their God.
They will fall by the sword;(AS)
    their little ones will be dashed(AT) to the ground,
    their pregnant women(AU) ripped open.”[b]

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or “Men who sacrifice / kiss
  2. Hosea 13:16 In Hebrew texts this verse (13:16) is numbered 14:1.

Relentless Judgment on Israel

13 When Ephraim spoke, trembling,
He exalted himself in Israel;
But when he offended through Baal worship, he died.
Now they sin more and more,
And have made for themselves molded images,
Idols of their silver, according to their skill;
All of it is the work of craftsmen.
They say of them,
“Let [a]the men who sacrifice [b]kiss the calves!”
Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud
And like the early dew that passes away,
(A)Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor
And like smoke from a chimney.

“Yet (B)I am the Lord your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For (C)there is no savior besides Me.
(D)I [c]knew you in the wilderness,
(E)In the land of [d]great drought.
(F)When they had pasture, they were filled;
They were filled and their heart was exalted;
Therefore they forgot Me.

“So (G)I will be to them like a lion;
Like (H)a leopard by the road I will lurk;
I will meet them (I)like a bear deprived of her cubs;
I will tear open their rib cage,
And there I will devour them like a lion.
The [e]wild beast shall tear them.

“O Israel, [f]you are destroyed,
But [g]your help is from Me.
10 [h]I will be your King;
(J)Where is any other,
That he may save you in all your cities?
And your judges to whom (K)you said,
‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 (L)I gave you a king in My anger,
And took him away in My wrath.

12 “The(M) iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
His sin is stored up.
13 (N)The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him.
He is an unwise son,
For he should not stay long where children are born.

14 “I will ransom them from the [i]power of [j]the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
(O)O Death, [k]I will be your plagues!
O [l]Grave, [m]I will be your destruction!
(P)Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

15 Though he is fruitful among his brethren,
(Q)An east wind shall come;
The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness.
Then his spring shall become dry,
And his fountain shall be dried up.
He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
16 Samaria [n]is held guilty,
For she has (R)rebelled against her God.
They shall fall by the sword,
Their infants shall be dashed in pieces,
And their women with child (S)ripped open.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or those who offer human sacrifice
  2. Hosea 13:2 Worship with kisses
  3. Hosea 13:5 Cared for you
  4. Hosea 13:5 Lit. droughts
  5. Hosea 13:8 Lit. beast of the field
  6. Hosea 13:9 Lit. it or he destroyed you
  7. Hosea 13:9 Lit. in your help
  8. Hosea 13:10 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Where is your king?
  9. Hosea 13:14 Lit. hand
  10. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  11. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your punishment?
  12. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  13. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your sting?
  14. Hosea 13:16 LXX shall be disfigured