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13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling.

    He exalted himself in Israel,
    but when he became guilty in Baal, he died.
Now they sin more and more,
    and have made themselves molten images of their silver,
    even idols according to their own understanding,
    all of them the work of the craftsmen.
    They say of them, ‘They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.’
Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
    and like the dew that passes away early,
    like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor,
    and like the smoke out of the chimney.

“Yet I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt;
    and you shall acknowledge no god but me,
    and besides me there is no savior.
I knew you in the wilderness,
    in the land of great drought.
According to their pasture, so were they filled;
    they were filled, and their heart was exalted.
    Therefore they have forgotten me.
Therefore I am like a lion to them.
    Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.
I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs,
    and will tear the covering of their heart.
    There I will devour them like a lioness.
    The wild animal will tear them.
You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me,
    against your help.
10 Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities?
    And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 I have given you a king in my anger,
    and have taken him away in my wrath.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up.
    His sin is stored up.
13 The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him.
    He is an unwise son;
    for when it is time, he doesn’t come to the opening of the womb.
14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol.[a]
    I will redeem them from death!
    Death, where are your plagues?
    Sheol, where is your destruction?

“Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.
15     Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come,
    the breath of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness;
    and his spring will become dry,
    and his fountain will be dried up.
    He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.
16 Samaria will bear her guilt;
    for she has rebelled against her God.
    They will fall by the sword.
    Their infants will be dashed in pieces,
    and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”

Footnotes

  1. 13:14 Sheol is the place of the dead.

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.