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Ephraim’s Idolatry

13 (A)When Ephraim [a]spoke, there was trembling.
He (B)lifted himself up in Israel,
But through (C)Baal he became guilty and died.
And now they sin more and more
And make for themselves (D)molten images,
Idols (E)made from their silver according to their understanding,
All of them the (F)work of craftsmen.
They are saying of them, “Let the [b]men who sacrifice kiss the (G)calves!”
Therefore they will be like the (H)morning cloud
And like dew which [c]soon disappears,
Like (I)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor
And like (J)smoke from a [d]chimney.

Yet I have been (K)Yahweh your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (L)any god except Me,
And there is no savior (M)besides Me.
I Myself (N)knew you in the wilderness,
(O)In the land of drought.
As they had their pasture, then they became (P)satisfied,
Indeed, they were satisfied, and their (Q)heart became raised up;
Therefore they (R)forgot Me.
So I will be (S)like a lion to them;
Like a (T)leopard I will [e]lie in wait by the wayside.
I will encounter them (U)like a bear robbed of her cubs,
And I will tear open [f]the chest enclosing their heart;
There I will also (V)devour them like a lioness,
As a beast of the field would rip them open.

It is your ruin, O Israel,
[g]That you are (W)against Me, against your (X)help.
10 Where now is your (Y)king,
That he may save you in all your cities,
And your (Z)judges of whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (AA)gave you a king in My anger
And (AB)took him away in My wrath.

12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
His sin is (AC)stored up.
13 The pains of (AD)childbirth come upon him;
He is (AE)not a wise son,
For [h]it is not the time that he should (AF)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (AG)ransom them from the [i]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(AH)O Death, where are your thorns?
O Sheol, where is your sting?
(AI)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.

15 Though he (AJ)is fruitful among the [j]reeds,
An (AK)east wind will come,
The wind of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness;
And his fountain will (AL)become dry,
And his spring will be dried up;
It will (AM)plunder his treasury of every desirable article.
16 [k]Samaria will be held (AN)guilty,
For she has (AO)rebelled against her God.
(AP)They will fall by the (AQ)sword;
Their infants will be (AR)dashed in pieces,
And their pregnant (AS)women will be ripped open.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:1 Or spoke with trembling
  2. Hosea 13:2 Lit sacrificers of mankind
  3. Hosea 13:3 Lit goes away early
  4. Hosea 13:3 Lit window
  5. Hosea 13:7 Or watch
  6. Hosea 13:8 Lit the enclosure of their heart
  7. Hosea 13:9 Or But in Me is your help
  8. Hosea 13:13 Lit it is the time that he should not tarry at the breaking forth of children
  9. Hosea 13:14 Lit hand
  10. Hosea 13:15 Or brothers
  11. Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Heb

Relentless Judgment on Israel

13 When Ephraim spoke, trembling,
He exalted himself in Israel;
But when he offended through Baal worship, he died.
Now they sin more and more,
And have made for themselves molded images,
Idols of their silver, according to their skill;
All of it is the work of craftsmen.
They say of them,
“Let [a]the men who sacrifice [b]kiss the calves!”
Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud
And like the early dew that passes away,
(A)Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor
And like smoke from a chimney.

“Yet (B)I am the Lord your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For (C)there is no savior besides Me.
(D)I [c]knew you in the wilderness,
(E)In the land of [d]great drought.
(F)When they had pasture, they were filled;
They were filled and their heart was exalted;
Therefore they forgot Me.

“So (G)I will be to them like a lion;
Like (H)a leopard by the road I will lurk;
I will meet them (I)like a bear deprived of her cubs;
I will tear open their rib cage,
And there I will devour them like a lion.
The [e]wild beast shall tear them.

“O Israel, [f]you are destroyed,
But [g]your help is from Me.
10 [h]I will be your King;
(J)Where is any other,
That he may save you in all your cities?
And your judges to whom (K)you said,
‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 (L)I gave you a king in My anger,
And took him away in My wrath.

12 “The(M) iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
His sin is stored up.
13 (N)The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him.
He is an unwise son,
For he should not stay long where children are born.

14 “I will ransom them from the [i]power of [j]the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
(O)O Death, [k]I will be your plagues!
O [l]Grave, [m]I will be your destruction!
(P)Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

15 Though he is fruitful among his brethren,
(Q)An east wind shall come;
The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness.
Then his spring shall become dry,
And his fountain shall be dried up.
He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
16 Samaria [n]is held guilty,
For she has (R)rebelled against her God.
They shall fall by the sword,
Their infants shall be dashed in pieces,
And their women with child (S)ripped open.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or those who offer human sacrifice
  2. Hosea 13:2 Worship with kisses
  3. Hosea 13:5 Cared for you
  4. Hosea 13:5 Lit. droughts
  5. Hosea 13:8 Lit. beast of the field
  6. Hosea 13:9 Lit. it or he destroyed you
  7. Hosea 13:9 Lit. in your help
  8. Hosea 13:10 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Where is your king?
  9. Hosea 13:14 Lit. hand
  10. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  11. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your punishment?
  12. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  13. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your sting?
  14. Hosea 13:16 LXX shall be disfigured