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 carried to Egypt.
The Lord also has a (C)dispute with Judah,
And will punish Jacob (D)according to his ways;
He will repay him according to his deeds.
In the womb he (E)took his brother by the heel,
And in his maturity he (F)contended with God.
Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and (G)sought His favor.
He found Him at (H)Bethel
And there He spoke with us,
Even the Lord, the God of hosts,
The Lord is His [c](I)name.
Therefore, (J)return to your God,
(K)Observe [d]kindness and justice,
And (L)wait for your God continually.
A [e]merchant, in whose hands are false (M)balances,
He loves to oppress.
And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become (N)rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they will find in me
(O)No iniquity, which would be sin.”
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]gave numerous visions,
And through the prophets I gave (R)parables.
11 Is there iniquity in Gilead?
Surely they are worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, (S)their altars are like the stone heaps
Beside the furrows of the 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 from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was kept.
14 (W)Ephraim has provoked to bitter anger;
So his Lord will leave his (X)bloodguilt on him
And bring back his (Y)reproach to him.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 12:1 Ch 12:2 in Heb
  2. Hosea 12:1 Lit they make
  3. Hosea 12:5 Lit memorial
  4. Hosea 12:6 Or loyalty
  5. Hosea 12:7 Or Canaanite
  6. Hosea 12:10 Lit multiplied the vision
  7. Hosea 12:12 Lit field

12 [a]Ephraim(A) feeds on the wind;(B)
    he pursues the east wind all day
    and multiplies lies and violence.(C)
He makes a treaty with Assyria(D)
    and sends olive oil to Egypt.(E)
The Lord has a charge(F) to bring against Judah;(G)
    he will punish(H) Jacob[b] according to his ways
    and repay him according to his deeds.(I)
In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;(J)
    as a man he struggled(K) with God.
He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
    he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel(L)
    and talked with him there—
the Lord God Almighty,
    the Lord is his name!(M)
But you must return(N) to your God;
    maintain love and justice,(O)
    and wait for your God always.(P)

The merchant uses dishonest scales(Q)
    and loves to defraud.
Ephraim boasts,(R)
    “I am very rich; I have become wealthy.(S)
With all my wealth they will not find in me
    any iniquity or sin.”

“I have been the Lord your God
    ever since you came out of Egypt;(T)
I will make you live in tents(U) again,
    as in the days of your appointed festivals.
10 I spoke to the prophets,
    gave them many visions
    and told parables(V) through them.”(W)

11 Is Gilead wicked?(X)
    Its people are worthless!
Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?(Y)
    Their altars will be like piles of stones
    on a plowed field.(Z)
12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram[c];(AA)
    Israel served to get a wife,
    and to pay for her he tended sheep.(AB)
13 The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,(AC)
    by a prophet he cared for him.(AD)
14 But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;
    his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed(AE)
    and will repay him for his contempt.(AF)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-14 is numbered 12:2-15.
  2. Hosea 12:2 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.
  3. Hosea 12:12 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia