Hosea 12:13-14:9
New American Standard Bible
13 But by a (A)prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was protected.
14 (B)Ephraim has provoked God to bitter anger;
So his Lord will leave his (C)guilt for bloodshed on him
And bring his (D)disgrace back to him.
Ephraim’s Idolatry
13 (E)When Ephraim [a]spoke, there was trembling.
He (F)exalted himself in Israel,
But through (G)Baal he incurred guilt and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves (H)cast metal images,
Idols [b](I)skillfully made from their silver,
All of them the (J)work of craftsmen.
They say of them, “Let the [c]people who sacrifice kiss the (K)calves!”
3 Therefore they will be like the (L)morning cloud
And like dew which [d]soon disappears,
Like (M)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor,
And like (N)smoke from a chimney.
4 Yet I have been the (O)Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (P)any god except Me,
For there is no savior (Q)besides Me.
5 I [e](R)cared for you in the wilderness,
(S)In the land of drought.
6 As they had their pasture, they became (T)satisfied,
And as they became satisfied, their (U)heart became proud;
Therefore they (V)forgot Me.
7 So I will be (W)like a lion to them;
Like a (X)leopard I will [f]lie in wait by the wayside.
8 I will confront them (Y)like a bear deprived of her cubs,
And I will tear open [g]their chests;
I will also (Z)devour them there like a lioness,
As a wild animal would tear them to pieces.
9 [h]It is to your own destruction, Israel,
That you are (AA)against Me, against your (AB)help.
10 Where then is your (AC)king,
That he might save you in all your cities;
And your (AD)judges, to whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (AE)gave you a king in My anger,
And (AF)took him away in My wrath.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is wrapped up;
His sin is (AG)stored up.
13 The pains of (AH)childbirth come on him;
He is (AI)not a wise son,
For [i]it is not the time that he should (AJ)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (AK)ransom them from the [j]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(AL)Death, where are your [k]thorns?
Sheol, where is your sting?
(AM)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.
15 Though he (AN)flourishes among the [l]reeds,
An (AO)east wind will come,
The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness;
And his fountain will (AP)become dry
And his spring will dry up;
It will (AQ)plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 [m]Samaria will pay the penalty for her (AR)guilt,
Because she has (AS)rebelled against her God.
(AT)They will fall by the (AU)sword,
Their children will be [n](AV)slaughtered,
And their pregnant (AW)women will be ripped open.
Israel’s Future Blessing
14 [o](AX)Return, Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled [p]because of your (AY)wrongdoing.
2 Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “(AZ)Take away all guilt
And [q]receive us graciously,
So that we may (BA)present [r]the fruit of our lips.
3 Assyria will not save us,
We will (BB)not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘(BC)Our god’
To the (BD)work of our hands;
For in (BE)You the [s]orphan finds mercy.”
4 I will (BF)heal their apostasy,
I will (BG)love them freely,
Because My anger has (BH)turned away from them.
5 I will be like the (BI)dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the (BJ)lily,
And he will [t]take root like the cedars of (BK)Lebanon.
6 His shoots will [u]sprout,
His [v]majesty will be like the (BL)olive tree,
And his fragrance like the cedars of (BM)Lebanon.
7 Those who (BN)live in his shadow
Will [w]again raise (BO)grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim, what more have I to do with (BP)idols?
It is I who answer and look after [x]you.
I am like a luxuriant (BQ)juniper;
From (BR)Me [y]comes your fruit.
9 (BS)Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the (BT)ways of the Lord are right,
And the (BU)righteous will walk in them,
But (BV)wrongdoers will stumble in them.
Footnotes
- Hosea 13:1 Or spoke with trembling, he exalted
- Hosea 13:2 Or according to their skill
- Hosea 13:2 Lit sacrificers of; or among mankind
- Hosea 13:3 Lit goes away early
- Hosea 13:5 Or knew
- Hosea 13:7 Or watch
- Hosea 13:8 Lit the enclosure of their heart
- Hosea 13:9 Lit It has destroyed you
- Hosea 13:13 Lit it is the time that he should not remain at the opening of children
- Hosea 13:14 Lit hand
- Hosea 13:14 Or stings
- Hosea 13:15 Another reading is brothers
- Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Heb
- Hosea 13:16 Lit shattered
- Hosea 14:1 Ch 14:2 in Heb
- Hosea 14:1 Or in
- Hosea 14:2 Or accept that which is good
- Hosea 14:2 As in ancient versions; MT our lips as bulls
- Hosea 14:3 Or fatherless
- Hosea 14:5 Lit strike his roots
- Hosea 14:6 Lit go
- Hosea 14:6 Lit splendor
- Hosea 14:7 Or return, they will raise grain
- Hosea 14:8 Lit him
- Hosea 14:8 Lit is found
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