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
New King James Version
Ephraim’s Sins Rebuked by God
12 “Ephraim (A)feeds on the wind,
And pursues the east wind;
He daily increases lies and [a]desolation.
(B)Also they make a [b]covenant with the Assyrians,
And (C)oil is carried to Egypt.
2 “The(D) Lord also brings a [c]charge against Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
According to his deeds He will recompense him.
3 He took his brother (E)by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he (F)struggled with God.
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in (G)Bethel,
And there He spoke to us—
5 That is, the Lord God of hosts.
The Lord is His (H)memorable name.
6 (I)So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually.
7 “A cunning [d]Canaanite!
(J)Deceitful scales are in his hand;
He loves to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said,
(K)‘Surely I have become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors
They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’
9 “But I am the Lord your God,
Ever since the land of Egypt;
(L)I will again make you dwell in tents,
As in the days of the appointed feast.
10 (M)I have also spoken by the prophets,
And have multiplied visions;
I have given [e]symbols [f]through the witness of the prophets.”
11 Though (N)Gilead has idols—
Surely they are [g]vanity—
Though they sacrifice bulls in (O)Gilgal,
Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.
12 Jacob (P)fled to the country of Syria;
(Q)Israel served for a spouse,
And for a wife he tended sheep.
13 (R)By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
And by a prophet he was preserved.
14 Ephraim (S)provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
(T)And return his reproach upon him.
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:1 ruin
- Hosea 12:1 Or treaty
- Hosea 12:2 A legal complaint
- Hosea 12:7 Or merchant
- Hosea 12:10 Or parables
- Hosea 12:10 Lit. by the hand
- Hosea 12:11 worthless
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
