Ephraim’s Idolatry

13 (A)When Ephraim [a]spoke, there was trembling.
He (B)exalted himself in Israel,
But through (C)Baal he incurred guilt and died.
And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves (D)cast metal images,
Idols [b](E)skillfully made from their silver,
All of them the (F)work of craftsmen.
They say of them, “Let the [c]people who sacrifice kiss the (G)calves!”
Therefore they will be like the (H)morning cloud
And like dew which [d]soon disappears,
Like (I)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor,
And like (J)smoke from a chimney.

Yet I have been the (K)Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (L)any god except Me,
For there is no savior (M)besides Me.
I [e](N)cared for you in the wilderness,
(O)In the land of drought.
As they had their pasture, they became (P)satisfied,
And as they became satisfied, their (Q)heart became proud;
Therefore they (R)forgot Me.
So I will be (S)like a lion to them;
Like a (T)leopard I will [f]lie in wait by the wayside.
I will confront them (U)like a bear deprived of her cubs,
And I will tear open [g]their chests;
I will also (V)devour them there like a lioness,
As a wild animal would tear them to pieces.

[h]It is to your own destruction, Israel,
That you are (W)against Me, against your (X)help.
10 Where then is your (Y)king,
That he might save you in all your cities;
And your (Z)judges, to whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (AA)gave you a king in My anger,
And (AB)took him away in My wrath.

12 The guilt of Ephraim is wrapped up;
His sin is (AC)stored up.
13 The pains of (AD)childbirth come on him;
He is (AE)not a wise son,
For [i]it is not the time that he should (AF)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (AG)ransom them from the [j]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(AH)Death, where are your [k]thorns?
Sheol, where is your sting?
(AI)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:1 Or spoke with trembling, he exalted
  2. Hosea 13:2 Or according to their skill
  3. Hosea 13:2 Lit sacrificers of; or among mankind
  4. Hosea 13:3 Lit goes away early
  5. Hosea 13:5 Or knew
  6. Hosea 13:7 Or watch
  7. Hosea 13:8 Lit the enclosure of their heart
  8. Hosea 13:9 Lit It has destroyed you
  9. Hosea 13:13 Lit it is the time that he should not remain at the opening of children
  10. Hosea 13:14 Lit hand
  11. Hosea 13:14 Or stings

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,

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or “Men who sacrifice / kiss

Jesus Teaches in Parables

13 On that day Jesus had gone out of (A)the house and was sitting (B)by the sea. And large crowds gathered to Him, so (C)He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

And He told them many things in (D)parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell [a]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a (E)hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. (F)The one who has ears, [b]let him hear.”

An Explanation for Parables

10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And [c]Jesus answered them, (G)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 (H)For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while (I)seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And [d]in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

[e](J)You shall keep on listening, [f]but shall not understand;
And [g]you shall keep on looking, [h]but shall not perceive;
15 (K)For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’

16 (L)But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that (M)many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

18 (N)Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears (O)the [i]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, (P)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [j]word, immediately he [k](Q)falls away. 22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of (R)the [l]world and the (S)deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it [m]becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some (T)a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:7 Lit upon
  2. Matthew 13:9 Or hear! Or listen!
  3. Matthew 13:11 Lit He
  4. Matthew 13:14 Lit for them
  5. Matthew 13:14 Lit With a hearing you shall hear; a Heb idiom
  6. Matthew 13:14 Lit and
  7. Matthew 13:14 Lit Seeing you shall see
  8. Matthew 13:14 Lit and
  9. Matthew 13:19 I.e., message
  10. Matthew 13:21 I.e., message
  11. Matthew 13:21 I.e., from the faith
  12. Matthew 13:22 Or age
  13. Matthew 13:22 Or proves to be unfruitful

The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)(C)

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house(D) and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat(E) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(F) sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”(G)

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(H) has been given to you,(I) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(J) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(K)

14 In them is fulfilled(L) the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a](M)

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(N) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(O) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(P) and does not understand it, the evil one(Q) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.(R) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(S) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)

Israel’s Future Blessing

14 [a](A)Return, Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled [b]because of your (B)wrongdoing.
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “(C)Take away all guilt
And [c]receive us graciously,
So that we may (D)present [d]the fruit of our lips.
Assyria will not save us,
We will (E)not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘(F)Our god’
To the (G)work of our hands;
For in (H)You the [e]orphan finds mercy.”

I will (I)heal their apostasy,
I will (J)love them freely,
Because My anger has (K)turned away from them.
I will be like the (L)dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the (M)lily,
And he will [f]take root like the cedars of (N)Lebanon.
His shoots will [g]sprout,
His [h]majesty will be like the (O)olive tree,
And his fragrance like the cedars of (P)Lebanon.
Those who (Q)live in his shadow
Will [i]again raise (R)grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, what more have I to do with (S)idols?
It is I who answer and look after [j]you.
I am like a luxuriant (T)juniper;
From (U)Me [k]comes your fruit.

(V)Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the (W)ways of the Lord are right,
And the (X)righteous will walk in them,
But (Y)wrongdoers will stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:1 Ch 14:2 in Heb
  2. Hosea 14:1 Or in
  3. Hosea 14:2 Or accept that which is good
  4. Hosea 14:2 As in ancient versions; MT our lips as bulls
  5. Hosea 14:3 Or fatherless
  6. Hosea 14:5 Lit strike his roots
  7. Hosea 14:6 Lit go
  8. Hosea 14:6 Lit splendor
  9. Hosea 14:7 Or return, they will raise grain
  10. Hosea 14:8 Lit him
  11. Hosea 14:8 Lit is found

Repentance to Bring Blessing

14 [a]Return,(A) Israel, to the Lord your God.
    Your sins(B) have been your downfall!(C)
Take words with you
    and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
    “Forgive(D) all our sins
and receive us graciously,(E)
    that we may offer the fruit of our lips.[b](F)
Assyria cannot save us;(G)
    we will not mount warhorses.(H)
We will never again say ‘Our gods’(I)
    to what our own hands have made,(J)
    for in you the fatherless(K) find compassion.”

“I will heal(L) their waywardness(M)
    and love them freely,(N)
    for my anger has turned away(O) from them.
I will be like the dew(P) to Israel;
    he will blossom like a lily.(Q)
Like a cedar of Lebanon(R)
    he will send down his roots;(S)
    his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,(T)
    his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.(U)
People will dwell again in his shade;(V)
    they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom(W) like the vine—
    Israel’s fame will be like the wine(X) of Lebanon.(Y)
Ephraim, what more have I[c] to do with idols?(Z)
    I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;(AA)
    your fruitfulness comes from me.”

Who is wise?(AB) Let them realize these things.
    Who is discerning? Let them understand.(AC)
The ways of the Lord are right;(AD)
    the righteous walk(AE) in them,
    but the rebellious stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1-9 is numbered 14:2-10.
  2. Hosea 14:2 Or offer our lips as sacrifices of bulls
  3. Hosea 14:8 Or Hebrew; Septuagint What more has Ephraim

26 For [a]consider your (A)calling, brothers and sisters, that there were (B)not many wise according to [b]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but (C)God has chosen the foolish things of (D)the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of (E)the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the [c]insignificant things of (F)the world and the despised God has chosen, (G)the things that are not, so that He may (H)nullify the things that are, 29 so that (I)no [d]human may boast before God. 30 But it is [e]due to Him that you are in (J)Christ Jesus, who became to us (K)wisdom from God, [f]and (L)righteousness and (M)sanctification, and (N)redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written: “(O)Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I (P)did not come as someone superior in [g]speaking ability or [h]wisdom, as I proclaimed to you (Q)the [i]testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except (R)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I also was with you in (S)weakness and (T)fear, and in great trembling, and my [j]message and my preaching were (U)not in persuasive words of [k]wisdom, but in demonstration of (V)the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not [l]rest on the [m]wisdom of mankind, but on (W)the power of God.

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are (X)mature; a wisdom, however, not of (Y)this age nor of the rulers of (Z)this age, who are (AA)passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a (AB)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God (AC)predestined before the (AD)ages to our glory; the wisdom (AE)which none of the rulers of (AF)this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified (AG)the Lord of glory; but just as it is written:

(AH)Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the human heart,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 [n](AI)For to us God revealed them (AJ)through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the (AK)depths of God. 11 For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the (AL)spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we (AM)have not received the spirit of (AN)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, (AO)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, [o]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

14 But [p]a (AP)natural person (AQ)does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are (AR)foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But the one who is (AS)spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is [q]discerned by no one. 16 For (AT)who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But (AU)we have the mind of Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:26 Lit see
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:26 I.e., human standards
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:28 Or lowly
  4. 1 Corinthians 1:29 Lit flesh
  5. 1 Corinthians 1:30 Lit from Him
  6. 1 Corinthians 1:30 Or both
  7. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Lit speech
  8. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Or cleverness
  9. 1 Corinthians 2:1 One early ms mystery
  10. 1 Corinthians 2:4 Lit word
  11. 1 Corinthians 2:4 Or cleverness
  12. 1 Corinthians 2:5 Lit be
  13. 1 Corinthians 2:5 Or cleverness
  14. 1 Corinthians 2:10 One early ms But
  15. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual things for spiritual people
  16. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or an unspiritual
  17. 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judged

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.(A) Not many of you were wise(B) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose(C) the foolish(D) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not(E)—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.(F) 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,(G) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,(H) holiness(I) and redemption.(J) 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[a](K)

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom(L) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[b] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.(M) I came to you(N) in weakness(O) with great fear and trembling.(P) My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,(Q) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,(R) so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.(S)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,(T) but not the wisdom of this age(U) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.(V) No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery(W) that has been hidden(X) and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age(Y) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(Z) However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[c]
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—(AA)

10 these are the things God has revealed(AB) to us by his Spirit.(AC)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts(AD) except their own spirit(AE) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit(AF) of the world,(AG) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom(AH) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[d] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God(AI) but considers them foolishness,(AJ) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit(AK) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”[e](AL)

But we have the mind of Christ.(AM)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer. 9:24
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts proclaimed to you God’s mystery
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual
  5. 1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13