Hosea 13
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Relentless Judgement on Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel;
but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
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!
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.
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 saviour.
5 It was I who fed[b] you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought.
6 When I fed[c] them, they were satisfied;
they were satisfied, and their heart was proud;
therefore they forgot me.
7 So I will become like a lion to them,
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
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’?
11 I gave you a king in my anger,
and I took him away in my wrath.
12 Ephraim’s iniquity is bound up;
his sin is kept in store.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Footnotes
- Hosea 13:2 Cn Compare Gk: Heb To these they say sacrifices of people
- Hosea 13:5 Gk Syr: Heb knew
- Hosea 13:6 Cn: Heb according to their pasture
- Hosea 13:9 Gk Syr: Heb for in me is your help
- Hosea 13:10 Gk Syr Vg: Heb I will be
- Hosea 13:14 Gk Syr: Heb I will be
- Hosea 13:14 Gk Syr: Heb I will be
- Hosea 13:15 Or among brothers
- Hosea 13:16 Ch 14.1 in Heb
Hosea 13
English Standard Version
The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
(A)he was exalted in Israel,
but he incurred guilt (B)through Baal and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
and (C)make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
(D)all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them,
“Those who offer human sacrifice (E)kiss calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be (F)like the morning mist
or (G)like the dew that goes early away,
(H)like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
or (I)like smoke from a window.
4 But (J)I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
(K)you know no God but me,
and (L)besides me there is no savior.
5 (M)It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 (N)but when they had grazed,[a] they became full,
(O)they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
(P)therefore they forgot me.
7 So (Q)I am to them like a lion;
(R)like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon them (S)like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
(T)as a wild beast would rip them open.
9 He destroys[b] you, O Israel,
for you are against me, against (U)your helper.
10 (V)Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—
those of whom (W)you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 (X)I gave you a king in my anger,
and (Y)I took him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is (Z)bound up;
his sin is (AA)kept in store.
13 (AB)The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
(AC)at the opening of the womb.
14 (AD)I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;
(AE)I shall redeem them from Death.[c]
(AF)O (AG)Death, where are your plagues?
(AH)O (AI)Sheol, where is your sting?
(AJ)Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15 Though (AK)he may flourish among his brothers,
(AL)the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come,
rising from the wilderness,
(AM)and his fountain shall dry up;
his spring shall be parched;
it shall strip (AN)his treasury
of every precious thing.
16 [d] Samaria (AO)shall bear her guilt,
because (AP)she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword;
(AQ)their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
and their (AR)pregnant women ripped open.
Footnotes
- Hosea 13:6 Hebrew according to their pasture
- Hosea 13:9 Or I will destroy
- Hosea 13:14 Or Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death?
- Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Hebrew
Hosea 13
New Century Version
The Final Word Against Israel
13 People used to fear the tribe of Ephraim;
they were important people in Israel.
But they sinned by worshiping Baal,
so they must die.
2 But they still keep on sinning more and more.
They make idols of their silver,
idols that are cleverly made,
the work of a craftsman.
Yet the people of Israel say to each other,
“Kiss those calf idols and sacrifice to them.”
3 So those people will be like the morning mist;
they will disappear like the morning dew.
They will be like chaff blown from the threshing floor,
like smoke going out a window.
4 “I, the Lord, have been your God
since you were in the land of Egypt.
You should have known no other God except me.
I am the only one who saves.
5 I cared for them in the desert
where it was hot and dry.
6 I gave them food, and they became full and satisfied.
But then they became too proud and forgot me.
7 That is why I will be like a lion to them,
like a leopard waiting by the road.
8 I will attack like a bear robbed of her cubs,
ripping their bodies open.
I will devour them like a lion
and tear them apart like a wild animal.
9 “Israel, I will destroy you.
Who will be your helper then?
10 What good is your king?
Can he save you in any of your towns?
What good are your leaders?
You said, ‘Give us a king and leaders.’
11 So I gave you a king, but only in anger,
and I took him away in my great anger.
12 The sins of Israel are on record,
stored away, waiting for punishment.
13 The pain of birth will come for him,
but he is like a foolish baby
who won’t come out of its mother’s womb.
14 Will I save them from the place of the dead?
Will I rescue them from death?
Where is your sickness, death?
Where is your pain, place of death?
I will show them no mercy.
15 Israel is doing well among the nations,
but the Lord will send a wind from the east,
coming from the desert,
that will dry up his springs and wells of water.
He will destroy from their treasure houses everything of value.
16 The nation of Israel will be ruined,
because it fought against God.
The people of Israel will die in war;
their children will be torn to pieces,
and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
