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Hosea 11-14
English Standard Version
Hosea 11-14
English Standard Version
The Lord's Love for Israel
11 (A)When Israel was a child, (B)I loved him,
and out of Egypt I (C)called (D)my son.
2 (E)The more they were called,
the more they went away;
(F)they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
3 Yet it was (G)I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that (H)I healed them.
4 (I)I led them with cords of kindness,[a]
with the bands of love,
and (J)I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and (K)I bent down to them and fed them.
5 (L)They shall not[b] return to the land of Egypt,
but (M)Assyria shall be their king,
(N)because (O)they have refused to return to me.
6 (P)The sword shall rage against their cities,
consume the bars of their gates,
and devour them (Q)because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent (R)on turning away from me,
and though (S)they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
(T)How can I make you (U)like Admah?
How can I treat you (V)like Zeboiim?
(W)My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
(X)for I am God and not a man,
(Y)the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.[c]
10 (Z)They shall go after the Lord;
(AA)he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling (AB)from the west;
11 they shall come trembling like birds (AC)from Egypt,
and (AD)like doves (AE)from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.
12 [d] Ephraim (AF)has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.
12 Ephraim feeds on the wind
and pursues (AG)the east wind all day long;
they multiply (AH)falsehood and violence;
(AI)they make a covenant with Assyria,
and (AJ)oil is carried to Egypt.
The Lord's Indictment of Israel and Judah
2 (AK)The Lord has an indictment against Judah
and will punish Jacob according to his ways;
he will repay him according to his deeds.
3 (AL)In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
and in his manhood he strove with God.
4 He strove with the angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought his favor.
(AM)He met God[e] at Bethel,
and there God spoke with us—
5 the Lord, the God of hosts,
(AN)the Lord is his memorial name:
6 “So you, (AO)by the help of your God, return,
(AP)hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.”
7 A merchant, in whose hands are (AQ)false balances,
he loves (AR)to oppress.
8 Ephraim has said, “Ah, but (AS)I am rich;
I have found wealth for myself;
in all my labors (AT)they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”
9 (AU)I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
I will again make you (AV)dwell in tents,
as in the days of the appointed feast.
10 (AW)I spoke to the prophets;
it was I who multiplied (AX)visions,
and through the prophets gave parables.
11 (AY)If there is iniquity in Gilead,
they shall surely come to nothing:
(AZ)in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;
(BA)their altars also are like stone heaps
(BB)on the furrows of the field.
12 (BC)Jacob fled to the land of Aram;
there Israel (BD)served for a wife,
and for a wife he guarded sheep.
13 By (BE)a prophet (BF)the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
and by a prophet he was guarded.
14 (BG)Ephraim has given bitter provocation;
so his Lord (BH)will leave his bloodguilt on him
(BI)and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.
The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
(BJ)he was exalted in Israel,
but he incurred guilt (BK)through Baal and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
and (BL)make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
(BM)all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them,
“Those who offer human sacrifice (BN)kiss calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be (BO)like the morning mist
or (BP)like the dew that goes early away,
(BQ)like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
or (BR)like smoke from a window.
4 But (BS)I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
(BT)you know no God but me,
and (BU)besides me there is no savior.
5 (BV)It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 (BW)but when they had grazed,[f] they became full,
(BX)they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
(BY)therefore they forgot me.
7 So (BZ)I am to them like a lion;
(CA)like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon them (CB)like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
(CC)as a wild beast would rip them open.
9 He destroys[g] you, O Israel,
for you are against me, against (CD)your helper.
10 (CE)Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—
those of whom (CF)you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 (CG)I gave you a king in my anger,
and (CH)I took him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is (CI)bound up;
his sin is (CJ)kept in store.
13 (CK)The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
(CL)at the opening of the womb.
14 (CM)I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;
(CN)I shall redeem them from Death.[h]
(CO)O (CP)Death, where are your plagues?
(CQ)O (CR)Sheol, where is your sting?
(CS)Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15 Though (CT)he may flourish among his brothers,
(CU)the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come,
rising from the wilderness,
(CV)and his fountain shall dry up;
his spring shall be parched;
it shall strip (CW)his treasury
of every precious thing.
16 [i] Samaria (CX)shall bear her guilt,
because (CY)she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword;
(CZ)their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
and their (DA)pregnant women ripped open.
A Plea to Return to the Lord
14 (DB)Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for (DC)you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept (DD)what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
(DE)the vows[j] of our lips.
3 (DF)Assyria shall not save us;
(DG)we will not ride on horses;
and (DH)we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
(DI)In you the orphan finds mercy.”
4 I (DJ)will heal their apostasy;
(DK)I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5 (DL)I will be like the dew to Israel;
(DM)he shall blossom like the lily;
he shall take root like the trees (DN)of Lebanon;
6 his shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be (DO)like the olive,
and his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 They shall return and (DP)dwell beneath my[k] shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 O (DQ)Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.[l]
I am like an evergreen cypress;
(DR)from me comes your fruit.
9 (DS)Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and (DT)the upright walk in them,
(DU)but transgressors stumble in them.
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:4 Or humaneness; Hebrew man
- Hosea 11:5 Or surely
- Hosea 11:9 Or into the city
- Hosea 11:12 Ch 12:1 in Hebrew
- Hosea 12:4 Hebrew him
- Hosea 13:6 Hebrew according to their pasture
- Hosea 13:9 Or I will destroy
- Hosea 13:14 Or Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death?
- Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Hebrew
- Hosea 14:2 Septuagint, Syriac pay the fruit
- Hosea 14:7 Hebrew his
- Hosea 14:8 Hebrew him
Hosea 11-14
New International Version
Hosea 11-14
New International Version
God’s Love for Israel
11 “When Israel was a child,(A) I loved(B) him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.(C)
2 But the more they were called,
the more they went away from me.[a](D)
They sacrificed to the Baals(E)
and they burned incense to images.(F)
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;(G)
but they did not realize
it was I who healed(H) them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love.(I)
To them I was like one who lifts
a little child to the cheek,
and I bent down to feed(J) them.(K)
5 “Will they not return to Egypt(L)
and will not Assyria(M) rule over them
because they refuse to repent?(N)
6 A sword(O) will flash in their cities;
it will devour(P) their false prophets
and put an end to their plans.
7 My people are determined to turn(Q) from me.(R)
Even though they call me God Most High,
I will by no means exalt them.
8 “How can I give you up,(S) Ephraim?(T)
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zeboyim?(U)
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion(V) is aroused.(W)
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,(X)
nor will I devastate(Y) Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man(Z)—
the Holy One(AA) among you.
I will not come against their cities.
10 They will follow the Lord;
he will roar(AB) like a lion.(AC)
When he roars,
his children will come trembling(AD) from the west.(AE)
11 They will come from Egypt,
trembling like sparrows,
from Assyria,(AF) fluttering like doves.(AG)
I will settle them in their homes,”(AH)
declares the Lord.
Israel’s Sin
12 Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,(AI)
Israel with deceit.
And Judah is unruly against God,
even against the faithful(AJ) Holy One.[b](AK)
12 [c]1 Ephraim(AL) feeds on the wind;(AM)
he pursues the east wind all day
and multiplies lies and violence.(AN)
He makes a treaty with Assyria(AO)
and sends olive oil to Egypt.(AP)
2 The Lord has a charge(AQ) to bring against Judah;(AR)
he will punish(AS) Jacob[d] according to his ways
and repay him according to his deeds.(AT)
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;(AU)
as a man he struggled(AV) with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel(AW)
and talked with him there—
5 the Lord God Almighty,
the Lord is his name!(AX)
6 But you must return(AY) to your God;
maintain love and justice,(AZ)
and wait for your God always.(BA)
7 The merchant uses dishonest scales(BB)
and loves to defraud.
8 Ephraim boasts,(BC)
“I am very rich; I have become wealthy.(BD)
With all my wealth they will not find in me
any iniquity or sin.”
9 “I have been the Lord your God
ever since you came out of Egypt;(BE)
I will make you live in tents(BF) again,
as in the days of your appointed festivals.
10 I spoke to the prophets,
gave them many visions
and told parables(BG) through them.”(BH)
11 Is Gilead wicked?(BI)
Its people are worthless!
Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?(BJ)
Their altars will be like piles of stones
on a plowed field.(BK)
12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram[e];(BL)
Israel served to get a wife,
and to pay for her he tended sheep.(BM)
13 The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,(BN)
by a prophet he cared for him.(BO)
14 But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;
his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed(BP)
and will repay him for his contempt.(BQ)
The Lord’s Anger Against Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, people trembled;(BR)
he was exalted(BS) in Israel.
But he became guilty of Baal worship(BT) and died.
2 Now they sin more and more;
they make(BU) idols for themselves from their silver,(BV)
cleverly fashioned images,
all of them the work of craftsmen.(BW)
It is said of these people,
“They offer human sacrifices!
They kiss[f](BX) calf-idols!(BY)”
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears,(BZ)
like chaff(CA) swirling from a threshing floor,(CB)
like smoke(CC) escaping through a window.
4 “But I have been the Lord your God
ever since you came out of Egypt.(CD)
You shall acknowledge(CE) no God but me,(CF)
no Savior(CG) except me.
5 I cared for you in the wilderness,(CH)
in the land of burning heat.
6 When I fed them, they were satisfied;
when they were satisfied, they became proud;(CI)
then they forgot(CJ) me.(CK)
7 So I will be like a lion(CL) to them,
like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs,(CM)
I will attack them and rip them open;
like a lion(CN) I will devour them—
a wild animal will tear them apart.(CO)
9 “You are destroyed, Israel,
because you are against me,(CP) against your helper.(CQ)
10 Where is your king,(CR) that he may save you?
Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
‘Give me a king and princes’?(CS)
11 So in my anger I gave you a king,(CT)
and in my wrath I took him away.(CU)
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up,
his sins are kept on record.(CV)
13 Pains as of a woman in childbirth(CW) come to him,
but he is a child without wisdom;
when the time(CX) arrives,
he doesn’t have the sense to come out of the womb.(CY)
14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;(CZ)
I will redeem them from death.(DA)
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?(DB)
“I will have no compassion,
15 even though he thrives(DC) among his brothers.
An east wind(DD) from the Lord will come,
blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
and his well dry up.(DE)
His storehouse will be plundered(DF)
of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria(DG) must bear their guilt,(DH)
because they have rebelled(DI) against their God.
They will fall by the sword;(DJ)
their little ones will be dashed(DK) to the ground,
their pregnant women(DL) ripped open.”[g]
Repentance to Bring Blessing
14 [h]Return,(DM) Israel, to the Lord your God.
Your sins(DN) have been your downfall!(DO)
2 Take words with you
and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
“Forgive(DP) all our sins
and receive us graciously,(DQ)
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.[i](DR)
3 Assyria cannot save us;(DS)
we will not mount warhorses.(DT)
We will never again say ‘Our gods’(DU)
to what our own hands have made,(DV)
for in you the fatherless(DW) find compassion.”
4 “I will heal(DX) their waywardness(DY)
and love them freely,(DZ)
for my anger has turned away(EA) from them.
5 I will be like the dew(EB) to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily.(EC)
Like a cedar of Lebanon(ED)
he will send down his roots;(EE)
6 his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,(EF)
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.(EG)
7 People will dwell again in his shade;(EH)
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom(EI) like the vine—
Israel’s fame will be like the wine(EJ) of Lebanon.(EK)
8 Ephraim, what more have I[j] to do with idols?(EL)
I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;(EM)
your fruitfulness comes from me.”
Footnotes
- Hosea 11:2 Septuagint; Hebrew them
- Hosea 11:12 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:12) is numbered 12:1.
- Hosea 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-14 is numbered 12:2-15.
- Hosea 12:2 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.
- Hosea 12:12 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Hosea 13:2 Or “Men who sacrifice / kiss
- Hosea 13:16 In Hebrew texts this verse (13:16) is numbered 14:1.
- Hosea 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1-9 is numbered 14:2-10.
- Hosea 14:2 Or offer our lips as sacrifices of bulls
- Hosea 14:8 Or Hebrew; Septuagint What more has Ephraim
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.