Hosea 12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 Ephraim herds the wind
and pursues the east wind all day long;
they multiply falsehood and violence;
they make a treaty with Assyria,
and oil is carried to Egypt.(A)
The Long History of Rebellion
2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah
and will punish Jacob according to his ways
and repay him according to his deeds.(B)
3 In the womb he tried to supplant his brother,
and in his manhood he strove with God.(C)
4 He strove with the angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought his favor;
he met him at Bethel,
and there he spoke with him.[a](D)
5 The Lord the God of hosts,
the Lord is his name!
6 But as for you, return to your God;
hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.(E)
7 A trader in whose hands are false balances,
he loves to oppress.(F)
8 Ephraim has said, “Ah, I am rich;
I have gained wealth for myself;
in all of my gain
no offense has been found in me
that would be sin.”[b](G)
9 I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
as in the days of the appointed festival.(H)
10 I spoke to the prophets;
it was I who multiplied visions,
and through the prophets I will bring destruction.(I)
11 In[c] Gilead there is iniquity;
they shall surely come to nothing.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
so their altars shall be like stone heaps
on the furrows of the field.(J)
12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram;
there Israel served for a wife,
and for a wife he guarded sheep.[d](K)
13 By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
and by a prophet he was guarded.(L)
14 Ephraim has given bitter offense,
so his Lord will bring his crimes down on him
and pay him back for his insults.(M)
Hosea 12
Lexham English Bible
12 Ephraim herds the wind[a]
and is pursuing the east wind all day long;
he multiplies deception and violence
and he[b] makes a treaty with Assyria,[c]
and oil is brought to Egypt.
2 Yahweh has a quarrel[d] with Judah
and will punish Jacob according to his ways
and repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he deceived his brother,
and in his manhood he struggled with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and prevailed;
he pleaded for his mercy.
He met him at Bethel,
and there he spoke with him.[e]
5 Yahweh the God of hosts,
Yahweh is his renowned name!
6 But you, you must return to your God;
keep love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.
7 The trader, in his hand are scales of deceit;[f]
he loves to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said, “Surely, I am rich,
I gained[g] wealth for myself;
in all my toil they have not found guilt in me
that is sin.
9 But I am Yahweh your God
since[h] the land of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
like the days of the appointed festival.
10 I spoke to the prophets;
I myself multiplied revelations[i]
and through the hand of the prophets I will destroy.
11 If in Gilead there is evil,
surely they will come to nothing.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
also their altars will be like stone heaps
on furrows of the field.
12 Jacob fled to the open field of Aram,[j]
and Israel served for a wife,
and for a wife he watched over sheep.
13 And by a prophet Yahweh brought
Israel up from Egypt,
and by a prophet
he[k] was watched over.
14 Ephraim has caused bitter provocation,
and his Lord will hold him responsible for his crimes[l]
and pay back to him his insults.
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:1 Or “Ephraim befriends the wind”
- Hosea 12:1 Hebrew “they”
- Hosea 12:1 Literally “cuts a covenant with Assyria”
- Hosea 12:2 This word in Hebrew conveys a legal setting
- Hosea 12:4 Hebrew “us”
- Hosea 12:7 Or “false balances”
- Hosea 12:8 Or “I found”
- Hosea 12:9 Or “from”
- Hosea 12:10 Hebrew “revelation”
- Hosea 12:12 Or “the land of Aram”
- Hosea 12:13 Israel
- Hosea 12:14 Literally “will bring down on him his blood”
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