Hosea 12

1 Ephraim's food is the wind, and he goes after the east wind: deceit and destruction are increasing day by day; they make an agreement with Assyria, and take oil into Egypt.

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.

2 The Lord has a cause against Judah, and will give punishment to Jacob for his ways; he will give him the reward of his acts.

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

3 In the body of his mother he took his brother by the foot, and in his strength he was fighting with God;

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

4 He had a fight with the angel and overcame him; he made request for grace to him with weeping; he came face to face with him in Beth-el and there his words came to him;

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

5 Even the Lord, the God of armies; the Lord is his name.

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

6 So then, come back to your God; keep mercy and right, and be waiting at all times on your God.

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

7 As for Canaan, the scales of deceit are in his hands; he takes pleasure in twisted ways.

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

8 And Ephraim said, Now I have got wealth and much property; in all my works no sin may be seen in me.

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.”

9 But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will give you tents for your living-places again as in the days of the holy meeting.

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.

10 My word came to the ears of the prophets and I gave them visions in great number, and by the mouths of the prophets I made use of comparisons.

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

11 In Gilead there is evil. They are quite without value; in Gilgal they make offerings of oxen; truly their altars are like masses of stones in the hollows of a ploughed field.

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.

12 And Jacob went in flight into the field of Aram, and Israel became a servant for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

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

13 And by a prophet the Lord made Israel come up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was kept safe.

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

14 I have been bitterly moved to wrath by Ephraim; so that his blood will be on him, and the Lord will make his shame come back on him.

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