Hosea 12
New American Standard Bible
Ephraim Reminded
12 [a]Ephraim feeds on (A)wind,
And pursues the (B)east wind continually;
He multiplies lies and violence.
Moreover, [b]he makes a covenant with Assyria,
And oil is brought to Egypt.
2 The Lord also has a (C)case against Judah,
And will punish Jacob (D)according to his ways;
He will repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he (E)took his brother by the heel,
And in his mature strength he (F)contended with God.
4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and (G)implored His favor.
He found Him at (H)Bethel,
And there He spoke with us,
5 And the Lord, the God of armies,
The Lord is His [c](I)name.
6 So as for you, (J)return to your God,
(K)Maintain [d]kindness and justice,
And (L)wait for your God continually.
7 A [e]merchant, in whose hands are fraudulent (M)balances,
Loves to exploit.
8 And Ephraim said, “I have certainly become (N)rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they will find in me
(O)No wrongdoing, which would be sin.”
9 But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;
I will make you (P)live in tents again,
As in the days of the appointed festival.
10 I have also spoken to the (Q)prophets,
And I [f]provided many visions,
And through the prophets I spoke in (R)parables.
11 Is there injustice in Gilead?
Certainly they are worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, (S)their altars are like stone heaps
Beside the furrows of a field.
12 Now (T)Jacob fled to the [g]land of Aram,
And (U)Israel worked for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.
13 But by a (V)prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was protected.
14 (W)Ephraim has provoked God to bitter anger;
So his Lord will leave his (X)guilt for bloodshed on him
And bring his (Y)disgrace back to him.
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:1 Ch 12:2 in Heb
- Hosea 12:1 Lit they make
- Hosea 12:5 Lit invocation
- Hosea 12:6 Or loyalty
- Hosea 12:7 Or Canaanite
- Hosea 12:10 Lit multiplied the vision
- Hosea 12:12 Lit field
Hosea 12
Common English Bible
God’s charge against Judah
12 [a] Ephraim herds the wind,
and pursues the east wind all day long;
they multiply lies and violence;
they make a treaty with Assyria,
and oil is carried to Egypt.
2 The Lord has a charge against Judah,
and will punish Jacob according to his ways,
and respond to him according to his deeds.
3 From the womb he tried to be the oldest of twin brothers;
as an adult he struggled with God.
4 He struggled with the messenger and survived;
he wept and sought his favor;
he met him at Bethel,
and there he spoke with him.
5 The Lord God of heavenly forces,
the Lord is his name!
6 But you! Return to your God
with faithful love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.
7 He is a merchant; the means to cheat are in his hands;
he loves to take advantage of others.
8 Ephraim has said,
“I’m rich,
I’ve gained wealth for myself;
in all of my gain
no offense has been found in me
that would be sin.”
9 I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
as in former days.
10 I spoke to the prophets;
and I multiplied visions,
and through them I uttered parables.
11 In Gilead there is wickedness;
they will surely come to nothing.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
so their altars will be like piles of stones
on the rows of the field.
12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram;
there Israel served for a wife,
and for a wife he kept watch over livestock.
13 By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
and by a prophet he was guarded.
14 Ephraim has given bitter offense;
so the Lord will bring his crimes down on him
and pay him back for his wrongdoing.
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:1 12:2 in Heb
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible