A [a]merchant, in whose hands are fraudulent (A)balances,
Loves to exploit.
And Ephraim said, “I have certainly become (B)rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they will find in me
(C)No wrongdoing, which would be sin.”
But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;
I will make you (D)live in tents again,
As in the days of the appointed festival.
10 I have also spoken to the (E)prophets,
And I [b]provided many visions,
And through the prophets I spoke in (F)parables.
11 Is there injustice in Gilead?
Certainly they are worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, (G)their altars are like stone heaps
Beside the furrows of a field.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 12:7 Or Canaanite
  2. Hosea 12:10 Lit multiplied the vision

“Now as for the merchant,[a]
    deceitful balances remain in his hand,
        and he loves to defraud.
Ephraim claims,
    ‘I have become rich,
I have made a fortune!
    Because of all my wealth,
        no one will find any iniquity or sin in me.’

“Yet I remain the Lord your God,
    who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
I will make you live in tents again,
    as in the festival of that name.[b]
10 I spoke to the prophets,
    giving revelation after revelation,
        and employing parables in the prophetic writings.[c]

11 “There’s iniquity in Gilead, isn’t there?
    They have become truly vain.
They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;
    their altars are like piles of stone in furrowed fields.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 12:7 MT word for merchant sounds like Canaan
  2. Hosea 12:9 I.e. the Festival of Tents
  3. Hosea 12:10 Lit. parables by the hand of the prophets