13 When Ephraim spoke,(A) there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel.(B)
But he incurred guilt through Baal(C) and died.

Now they continue to sin
and make themselves a cast image,(D)
idols skillfully made from their silver,(E)
all of them the work of craftsmen.(F)
People say about them,
“Let the men who sacrifice[a] kiss the calves.”(G)
Therefore, they will be like the morning mist,(H)
like the early dew that vanishes,
like chaff blown from a threshing floor,(I)
or like smoke from a window.(J)

Death and Resurrection

I have been the Lord your God(K)
ever since[b] the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,(L)
and no Savior exists besides me.(M)
I knew[c] you in the wilderness,(N)
in the land of drought.
When they had pasture,
they became satisfied;(O)
they were satisfied,
and their hearts became proud.(P)
Therefore they forgot me.(Q)
So I will be like a lion(R) to them;
I will lurk like a leopard(S) on the path.
I will attack them
like a bear robbed of her cubs
and tear open the rib cage over their hearts.
I will devour them there like a lioness,(T)
like a wild beast that would rip them open.
I will destroy you, Israel;
you have no help but me.[d](U)

10 Where now is your king,[e](V)
that he may save you in all your cities,
and the[f] rulers[g](W) you demanded, saying,
“Give me a king and leaders”?
11 I give you a king in my anger(X)
and take away a king in my wrath.(Y)
12 Ephraim’s guilt is preserved;
his sin is stored up.(Z)
13 Labor pains come on him.(AA)
He is not a wise son;(AB)
when the time comes,
he will not be born.[h](AC)

14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol.
I will redeem[i] them from death.(AD)
Death, where are your barbs?
Sheol, where is your sting?(AE)
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.(AF)

The Coming Judgment

15 Although he flourishes among his brothers,[j](AG)
an east wind will come,(AH)
a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert.
His water source will fail,
and his spring will run dry.(AI)
The wind[k] will plunder the treasury(AJ)
of every precious item.

16 Samaria(AK) will bear her guilt(AL)
because she has rebelled against her God.(AM)
They will fall by the sword;(AN)
their children will be dashed to pieces,(AO)
and their pregnant women ripped open.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. 13:2 Or “Those who make human sacrifices
  2. 13:4 DSS, LXX read God who brought you out of
  3. 13:5 LXX, Syr read fed
  4. 13:9 LXX reads At your destruction, Israel, who will help you?
  5. 13:10 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads I will be your king
  6. 13:10 Lit your
  7. 13:10 Or judges
  8. 13:13 Lit he will not present himself at the opening of the womb for sons
  9. 13:14 Or Should I ransom...? Should I redeem...?
  10. 13:15 Or among reeds
  11. 13:15 Probably the Assyrian king

The Lord’s Anger against Israel

13 When the tribe of Ephraim spoke,
    the people shook with fear,
    for that tribe was important in Israel.
But the people of Ephraim sinned by worshiping Baal
    and thus sealed their destruction.
Now they continue to sin by making silver idols,
    images shaped skillfully with human hands.
“Sacrifice to these,” they cry,
    “and kiss the calf idols!”
Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist,
    like dew in the morning sun,
like chaff blown by the wind,
    like smoke from a chimney.

“I have been the Lord your God
    ever since I brought you out of Egypt.
You must acknowledge no God but me,
    for there is no other savior.
I took care of you in the wilderness,
    in that dry and thirsty land.
But when you had eaten and were satisfied,
    you became proud and forgot me.
So now I will attack you like a lion,
    like a leopard that lurks along the road.
Like a bear whose cubs have been taken away,
    I will tear out your heart.
I will devour you like a hungry lioness
    and mangle you like a wild animal.

“You are about to be destroyed, O Israel—
    yes, by me, your only helper.
10 Now where is[a] your king?
    Let him save you!
Where are all the leaders of the land,
    the king and the officials you demanded of me?
11 In my anger I gave you kings,
    and in my fury I took them away.

12 “Ephraim’s guilt has been collected,
    and his sin has been stored up for punishment.
13 Pain has come to the people
    like the pain of childbirth,
but they are like a child
    who resists being born.
The moment of birth has arrived,
    but they stay in the womb!

14 “Should I ransom them from the grave[b]?
    Should I redeem them from death?
O death, bring on your terrors!
    O grave, bring on your plagues![c]
    For I will not take pity on them.
15 Ephraim was the most fruitful of all his brothers,
    but the east wind—a blast from the Lord
    will arise in the desert.
All their flowing springs will run dry,
    and all their wells will disappear.
Every precious thing they own
    will be plundered and carried away.
16 [d]The people of Samaria
    must bear the consequences of their guilt
    because they rebelled against their God.
They will be killed by an invading army,
    their little ones dashed to death against the ground,
    their pregnant women ripped open by swords.”

Footnotes

  1. 13:10 As in Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew reads I will be.
  2. 13:14a Hebrew Sheol; also in 13:14b.
  3. 13:14b Greek version reads O death, where is your punishment? / O grave [Hades], where is your sting? Compare 1 Cor 15:55.
  4. 13:16 Verse 16 is numbered 14:1 in Hebrew text.

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,
15     even though he thrives(AL) among his brothers.
An east wind(AM) from the Lord will come,
    blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
    and his well dry up.(AN)
His storehouse will be plundered(AO)
    of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria(AP) must bear their guilt,(AQ)
    because they have rebelled(AR) against their God.
They will fall by the sword;(AS)
    their little ones will be dashed(AT) to the ground,
    their pregnant women(AU) ripped open.”[b]

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or “Men who sacrifice / kiss
  2. Hosea 13:16 In Hebrew texts this verse (13:16) is numbered 14:1.