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.”

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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?

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

The Parable of the Sower(A)

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house (B)and sat by the sea. (C)And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that (D)He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: (E)“Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some (F)a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (G)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables(H)

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered and said to them, “Because (I)it has been given to you to know the [a]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 (J)For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

(K)‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not (L)perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears (M)are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have (N)closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I [b]should (O)heal them.’

16 But (P)blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you (Q)that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained(R)

18 (S)“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word (T)of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately (U)receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when (V)tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately (W)he stumbles. 22 Now (X)he who received seed (Y)among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears (Z)fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:11 secret or hidden truths
  2. Matthew 13:15 NU, M would

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 Restored at Last

14 O Israel, (A)return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
“Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the (B)sacrifices[a] of our lips.
Assyria shall (C)not save us,
(D)We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’
(E)For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

“I will heal their (F)backsliding,
I will (G)love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
I will be like the (H)dew to Israel;
He shall [b]grow like the lily,
And [c]lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
His branches shall [d]spread;
(I)His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And (J)his fragrance like Lebanon.
(K)Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And [e]grow like a vine.
Their [f]scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

“Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
(L)Your fruit is found in Me.”

Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For (M)the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:2 Lit. bull calves; LXX fruit
  2. Hosea 14:5 Lit. bud or sprout
  3. Hosea 14:5 Lit. strike
  4. Hosea 14:6 Lit. go
  5. Hosea 14:7 Lit. bud or sprout
  6. Hosea 14:7 Lit. remembrance

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

Glory Only in the Lord

26 For [a]you see your calling, brethren, (A)that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many [b]noble, are called. 27 But (B)God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the [c]base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and (C)righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, (D)“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

Christ Crucified

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the [d]testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you (E)except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (F)I was with you (G)in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching (H)were not with persuasive words of [e]human wisdom, (I)but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the (J)power of God.

Spiritual Wisdom

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God [f]ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for (K)had they known, they would not have (L)crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written:

(M)“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But (N)God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the (O)spirit of the man which is in him? (P)Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but (Q)the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the [g]Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 (R)But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For (S)“who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” (T)But we have the mind of Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:26 consider
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:26 well-born
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:28 insignificant or lowly
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:1 NU mystery
  5. 1 Corinthians 2:4 NU omits human
  6. 1 Corinthians 2:7 predetermined
  7. 1 Corinthians 2:13 NU omits Holy

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