Hosea 13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Relentless Judgment on Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel,
but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.(A)
2 And now they keep on sinning
and make a cast image for themselves,
idols of silver made according to their understanding,
all of them the work of artisans.
“Sacrifice to these,” they say.[a]
People are kissing calves!(B)
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning mist
or like the dew that goes away early,
like chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
or like smoke from a window.(C)
4 Yet I have been the Lord your God
ever since the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.(D)
5 It was I who fed[b] you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought.(E)
6 When I fed[c] them, they were satisfied;
they were satisfied, and their heart was proud;
therefore they forgot me.(F)
7 So I will become like a lion to them;
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.(G)
8 I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs
and will tear open the covering of their heart;
there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild animal would mangle them.
9 I will destroy you, O Israel;
who can help you?[d]
10 Where now is[e] your king, that he may save you?
Where in all your cities are your rulers,
of whom you said,
“Give me a king and rulers”?(H)
11 I gave you a king in my anger,
and I took him away in my wrath.(I)
12 Ephraim’s iniquity is bound up;
his sin is kept in store.(J)
13 The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son,
for at the proper time he does not present himself
at the mouth of the womb.(K)
14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from Death?
O Death, where are[f] your plagues?
O Sheol, where is[g] your destruction?
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.(L)
15 Although he may flourish among rushes,[h]
the east wind shall come, a blast from the Lord,
rising from the wilderness,
and his fountain shall dry up;
his spring shall be parched.
It shall strip his treasury
of every precious thing.(M)
16 [i]Samaria shall bear her guilt
because she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword;
their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
and their pregnant women ripped open.(N)
Footnotes
Hosea 13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
13 When Ephraim spoke,(A) there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel.(B)
But he incurred guilt through Baal(C) and died.
2 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)
3 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
4 I have been Yahweh your God(K)
ever since[b] the land of Egypt;
you know no God but Me,(L)
and no Savior exists besides Me.(M)
5 I knew[c] you in the wilderness,(N)
in the land of drought.
6 When they had pasture,
they became satisfied;(O)
they were satisfied,
and their hearts became proud.(P)
Therefore they forgot Me.(Q)
7 So I will be like a lion(R) to them;
I will lurk like a leopard(S) on the path.
8 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.
9 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 [l]Samaria(AK) will bear her guilt(AL)
because she has rebelled against her God.(AM)
They will fall by the sword;(AN)
their little ones will be dashed to pieces,(AO)
and their pregnant women ripped open.(AP)
Footnotes
- Hosea 13:2 Or Those who make human sacrifices
- Hosea 13:4 DSS, LXX read God who brought you out of
- Hosea 13:5 LXX, Syr read fed
- Hosea 13:9 LXX reads At your destruction, Israel, who will help you?
- Hosea 13:10 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads I will be your king
- Hosea 13:10 Lit your
- Hosea 13:10 Or judges
- Hosea 13:13 Lit he will not present himself at the opening of the womb for sons
- Hosea 13:14 Or Should I ransom . . . Should I redeem . . . ?
- Hosea 13:15 Or among reeds
- Hosea 13:15 Probably the Assyrian king
- Hosea 13:16 Hs 14:1 in Hb
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.