Hosea 12

1 Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; he multiplies lies and violence; he makes a covenant with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.

Ephraim feedeth on wind, and pursueth the east wind; the whole day he increaseth deceit and corruption; and a covenant do they make with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

2 The LORD also brings a charge against Judah. He will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.

But with Judah also hath the Lord [to hold] a controversy; and to punish Jacob according to his ways, according to his doings will he recompense him.

3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God.

In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his strength he strove with an angel.

4 Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor; he found Him at Bethel and spoke with Him there —

Yea, he strove with an angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him: in Beth-el he should find him, and there he will speak with us.

5 the LORD is the God of Hosts— the LORD is His name of renown.

And the Lord God of hosts, the Eternal One is his memorial.

6 But you must return to your God, maintaining love and justice, and always waiting on your God.

Therefore do thou return to thy God: keep goodness and justice, and wait on thy God continually.

7 A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.

But like a merchant, who hath the balances of deceit in his hand, loving to overreach,

8 And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”

Did Ephraim say, I am certainly become rich, I have acquired substance unto myself: it is all through my labors; they will find no iniquity in me, that could be sin.

9 But I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.

And I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of antiquity.

10 I spoke through the prophets and multiplied their visions; I gave parables through the prophets.

And I have spoken through the prophets, and I myself have multiplied visions, and by the means of the prophets have I spoken in similitudes.

11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

If in Gil'ad there was misfortune, [it is because] there was naught but idolatry; in Gilgal they sacrificed bullocks [to idols]: their altars also are as stone-heaps on the furrows of the fields.

12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife— for a wife he tended sheep.

And Jacob fled into the fields of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [the flocks].

13 But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.

And by a prophet did the Lord bring Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he guarded.

14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt upon him and repay him for his contempt.

[Yet] Ephraim provoked [him] to anger most bitterly: therefore will his Lord cast his blood-guiltiness upon him, and his reproach will he recompense unto him.