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 tries to herd the wind, chasing after the east wind all day long. Their lies and violence keep on increasing. They make a treaty with Assyria, and send 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 has an accusation against Judah, and will punish Jacob for the way the people act; he will repay them for what they have done.

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

Even in the womb he fought with his brother; when he became a man he fought 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;

He fought with the angel, and he won. He wept, and begged him for a blessing. Jacob found God at Bethel, and spoke with him there—

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

the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his memorable name!

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

You must return to your God. Act lovingly and do what is right, and always wait for your God.

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

A merchant who holds in his hands dishonest scales loves to swindle.

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

Ephraim says, “I'm rich! I've made myself wealthy! I've made so much from my work, and nobody can prove me guilty of doing wrong.”

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 who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I will make you live again in tents like you do at the time of that particular festival.

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. I myself gave many visions and 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.

If Gilead is idolatrous, they will surely come to nothing. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls. Even their altars are like heaps of rocks 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; Israel worked there to gain a wife, earning a wife by looking after sheep.

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

Through a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet they were cared for.

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 really upset the Lord, and the Lord will let them have the consequences of their bloodshed and pay them back for their contempt.