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Israel’s History

12 [a] Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,[b]
and the house of Israel with deceit;
and Judah is still wandering with God
    and is faithful to the Holy One.

12 Ephraim herds the wind[c]
    and is pursuing the east wind all day long;
he multiplies deception and violence
    and he[d] makes a treaty with Assyria,[e]
    and oil is brought to Egypt.
Yahweh has a quarrel[f] with Judah
    and will punish Jacob according to his ways
        and repay him according to his deeds.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 11:12 Hosea 11:12–12:14 in the English Bible is 12:1–15 in the Hebrew Bible
  2. Hosea 11:12 Hebrew “lie”
  3. Hosea 12:1 Or “Ephraim befriends the wind”
  4. Hosea 12:1 Hebrew “they”
  5. Hosea 12:1 Literally “cuts a covenant with Assyria”
  6. Hosea 12:2 This word in Hebrew conveys a legal setting

Charges against Israel and Judah

12 [a]Israel surrounds me with lies and deceit,
    but Judah still obeys God
    and is faithful to the Holy One.[b]

12 [c]The people of Israel[d] feed on the wind;
    they chase after the east wind all day long.
They pile up lies and violence;
    they are making an alliance with Assyria
    while sending olive oil to buy support from Egypt.

Now the Lord is bringing charges against Judah.
    He is about to punish Jacob[e] for all his deceitful ways,
    and pay him back for all he has done.

Footnotes

  1. 11:12a Verse 11:12 is numbered 12:1 in Hebrew text.
  2. 11:12b Or and Judah is unruly against God, the faithful Holy One. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 12:1a Verses 12:1-14 are numbered 12:2-15 in Hebrew text.
  4. 12:1b Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 12:8, 14.
  5. 12:2 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew word for “deceiver.”