Osee 13

1 According to the word of Ephraim he adopted ordinances for himself in Israel; and he established them for Baal, and died.

When Ephraim spoke, a horror seized Israel: and he sinned in Baal and died.

2 And now they have sinned increasingly, and have made for themselves a molten image of their silver, according to the fashion of idols, the work of artificers accomplished for them: they say, Sacrifice men, for the calves have come to an end.

And now they have sinned more and more: and they have made to themselves a molten thing of their silver as the likeness of idols: the whole is the work of craftsmen: to these that say: Sacrifice men, ye that adore calves.

3 Therefore shall they be as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passes away, as chaff blown away from the threshing floor, and as a vapour from tears.

Therefore they shall be as a morning aloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the dust that is driven with a whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

4 But I am the Lord your God that establishes the heaven, and creates the earth, whose hands have framed the whole host of heaven: but I showed them not to you that you should go after them: and I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but me; and there is no Saviour beside me.

But I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: and thou shalt know no God but me, and there is no saviour beside me.

5 I tended you as a shepherd in the wilderness, in an uninhabited land.

I knew thee in the desert, in the land of the wilderness.

6 According to their pastures, so they were completely filled; and their hearts were exalted; therefore they forgot me.

According to their pastures they were filled, and were made full: and they lifted up their heart, and have forgotten me.

7 And I will be to them as a panther, and as a leopard.

And I will be to them as a lioness, as a leopard in the way of the Assyrians.

8 I will meet them by the way of the Assyrians, as a she-bear excited, and I will rend the caul of their heart, and the lions' whelps of the thicket shall devour them there; the wild beasts of the field shall rend them in pieces.

I will meet them as a bear that is robbed of her whelps, and I will rend the inner parts of their liver: and I will devour them there as a lion, the beast of the field shall tear them.

9 O Israel, who will aid [you] in your destruction?

Destruction is thy own, O Israel: thy help is only in me.

10 Where is this your king? let him even save you in all your cities: let him judge you, of whom you said, Give me a king and a prince.

Where is thy king? now especially let him save thee in all thy cities: and thy judges, of whom thou saidst: Give me kings and princes.

11 And I gave you a king in mine anger, and kept [him] back in my wrath.

I will give thee a king in my wrath, and will take him away in my indignation.

12 Ephraim [has framed] a conspiracy of unrighteousness, his sin is hidden.

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hidden.

13 Pains as of a woman in travail shall come upon him: he is your wise son, because he shall not stay in the destruction of [your] children.

The sorrows of a woman in labour snail come upon him, he is an unwise son: for now he shall not stand in the breach of the children.

14 I will deliver [them] out of the power of Hades, and will redeem them from death: where is your penalty, O death? O Hades, where is your sting? comfort is hidden from mine eyes. (Sheol h7585)

I will deliver them out of the hand of death. I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy death; O hell, I will be thy bite: comfort is hidden from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)

15 Forasmuch as he will cause a division amongst [his] brethren, the Lord shall bring upon him an east wind from the desert, and shall dry up his veins [and] quite drain his fountains: he shall dry up his land, and [spoil] all his precious vessels.

Because he shall make a separation between brothers: the Lord will bring a burning wind that shall rise from the desert, and it shall dry up his springs, and shall make his fountain desolate, and he shall carry off the treasure of every desirable vessel.

16 Samaria shall be utterly destroyed: for she has resisted her God; they shall fall by the sword, and their sucklings shall be dashed against the ground, and their women with child ripped up.

Let Samaria perish, because she hath stirred up her God to bitterness: let them perish by the sword, let their little ones be dashed, and let the women with child be ripped up.