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Hosea 12:2-4
New King James Version
Hosea 12:2-4
New King James Version
2 “The(A) Lord also brings a [a]charge against Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
According to his deeds He will recompense him.
3 He took his brother (B)by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he (C)struggled with God.
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in (D)Bethel,
And there He spoke to us—
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:2 A legal complaint
Hosea 12:2-4
Contemporary English Version
Hosea 12:2-4
Contemporary English Version
Israel and Judah Condemned
2 The Lord also brings charges
against the people of Judah,
the descendants of Jacob.
He will punish them
for what they have done.
3 (A)(B) Even before Jacob was born,
he cheated his brother,[a]
and when he grew up,
he fought against God.[b]
4 (C) At Bethel, Jacob wrestled
with an angel and won;
then with tears in his eyes,
he asked for a blessing,
and God spoke to us[c] there.
Footnotes
- 12.3 Jacob … cheated … brother: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “cheat” and also like “heel.” Jacob grabbed his twin brother Esau by the heel at the time of their birth (see Genesis 25.26). Later he cheated him out of his rights and blessings as the first-born son (see Genesis 25.29-34; 27.1-40).
- 12.3 fought against God: See Genesis 32.22-32.
- 12.4 us: Hebrew; two ancient translations “him.”
Hosea 12:2-4
New International Version
Hosea 12:2-4
New International Version
2 The Lord has a charge(A) to bring against Judah;(B)
he will punish(C) Jacob[a] according to his ways
and repay him according to his deeds.(D)
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;(E)
as a man he struggled(F) with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel(G)
and talked with him there—
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:2 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.
Hosea 12:2-4
King James Version
Hosea 12:2-4
King James Version
2 The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.
3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
4 Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;
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Hosea 12:2-4
English Standard Version
Hosea 12:2-4
English Standard Version
The Lord's Indictment of Israel and Judah
2 (A)The Lord has an indictment against Judah
and will punish Jacob according to his ways;
he will repay him according to his deeds.
3 (B)In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
and in his manhood he strove with God.
4 He strove with the angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought his favor.
(C)He met God[a] at Bethel,
and there God spoke with us—
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:4 Hebrew him
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.