Hosea 13

1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died.

When Ephraim speaketh tremblingly, He hath been lifted up in Israel, When he becometh guilty in Baal he dieth.

2 Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

And now do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding — idols, A work of artisans — all of it, Of them they say, who [are] sacrificers among men, 'The calves let them kiss.'

3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.

Therefore they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.

4 Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.

And I [am] Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, And a God besides Me thou dost not know, And a Saviour — there is none save Me.

5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

I — I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.

6 When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.

According to their feedings they are satiated, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,

7 So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

And I am to them as a lion, As a leopard by the way I look out.

8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests. There I will devour them like a lion, like a wild beast would tear them apart.

I do meet them as a bereaved bear, And I rend the enclosure of their heart.

9 You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against Me— against your helper.

And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field doth rend them.

10 Where is your king now to save you in all your cities, and the rulers to whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?

Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel, But in Me [is] thy help, Where [is] thy king now — And he doth save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou didst say, 'Give to me a king and heads?'

11 So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.

I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.

12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is stored up.

Bound up [is] the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden [is] his sin,

13 Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.

Pangs of a travailing woman come to him, He [is] a son not wise, For he remaineth not the time for the breaking forth of sons.

14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes. (Sheol h7585)

From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I redeem them, Where [is] thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction, O Sheol? Repentance is hid from Mine eyes. (Sheol h7585)

15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come— a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. His fountain will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article.

Though he among brethren produceth fruit, Come in doth an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it drieth up his fountain, And become dry doth his spring, It — it spoileth a treasure — every desirable vessel.

16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

Become desolate doth Samaria, Because she hath rebelled against her God, By sword they do fall, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!