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, feedeth on wind, and pursueth the east wind, all the day, falsehood and force, doth he magnify, —and, a covenant with Assyria, would they solemnize, and, oil into Egypt, must be borne along.

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.

But, a controversy, hath Yahweh with Judah, —so that he may bring punishment on Jacob, according to his ways, According to his doings, repay him.

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, took he his brother by the heel; and, in his manly vigour, strove he 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;

Yea he strove against a Messenger, and prevailed, he wept, and made supplication unto him, —At Bethel, he found him, and, there, he spake with us;

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

And, Yahweh, is God of host, —Yahweh, is his memorial.

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

Thou, therefore, by thy God, shalt return, —lovingkindness and justice, do thou keep, so wait thou for thy God, continually.

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

A trafficker! in his hand, are balances of deceit, to oppress, he loveth.

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

So then Ephraim said, Surely I have gotten me riches, I have found wealth for myself, —in all my toils, they cannot find in me perversity which is sin.

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, Yahweh, have been thy God, from the land of Egypt, —I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of appointed meeting.

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.

And I will lay my word upon the prophets, yea, I myself, have magnified, vision, —and, by the hand of the prophets, will I use similitudes.

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 in sorrow, surely false, have they been, In Gilgal, have they sacrificed, bullocks, —their very altars, shall become as heaps upon 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.

When Jacob fled to the country of Syria, then Israel served for a wife, and, for a wife, he watched over a flock.

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

And, by a prophet, Yahweh, brought up, Israel out of Egypt, —and, by a prophet, was he watched over.

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 hath provoked, very bitterly, —his own blood, therefore, upon him, will he leave, and, his reproach, shall his Lord, bring back to him.