Hosea 13

1 While Ephraim was speaking, a horror entered Israel, and he offended by Baal, and he died.

When Ephraim spake, there was trembling; he exalted himself in Israel: but when he offended in Baal, he died.

2 And now they add that they will be sinning more. And they have made themselves an image cast from their silver, just like the image of idols; but the whole thing has been made by craftsmen. These say to them, “Sacrifice men, you who adore calves.”

And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

3 For this reason, they will be like the morning clouds, and like the morning dew that passes away, just like the dust that is driven by a whirlwind away from the threshing floor, and like the smoke from a chimney.

Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passeth early away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

4 But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, and you will not know God apart from me, and there is no Savior except me.

Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt; and thou shalt know no god but me, and beside me there is no saviour.

5 I knew you in the desert, in the land of solitude.

I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

6 According to their pastures, they have been filled up and have been satisfied. And they have lifted up their heart, and they have forgotten me.

According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted: therefore have they forgotten me.

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

Therefore am I unto them as a lion: as a leopard will I watch by the way:

8 I will run to meet them like a bear that has been robbed of her young, and I will split open the middle of their liver. And I will devour them there like a lion; the beast of the field will tear them apart.

I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart: and there will I devour them like a lion; the wild beast shall tear them.

9 Perdition is yours, Israel. Your help is only in me.

It is thy destruction, O Israel, that [thou art] against me, against thy help.

10 Where is your king? Now, especially, let him save you in all your cities, and from your judges, about whom you said, “Give me kings and princes.”

Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges, of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

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

I have given thee a king in mine anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.

12 The iniquity of Ephraim has been bound; his sin has been engulfed.

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid up in store.

13 The pains of giving birth will reach him. He is an unwise son. For now he will not remain firm during the contrition of his sons.

The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for it is time he should not tarry in the place of the breaking forth of children.

14 I will free them from the hand of death; from death I will redeem them. Death, I will be your death. Hell, I will be your deadly wound. Consolation is hidden from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, where are thy plagues? O grave, where is thy destruction? repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. (Sheol h7585)

15 For he will make a division among brothers. The Lord will bring a burning wind, rising up from the desert, and it will dry up his streams, and it will make his fountain desolate, and he will tear apart every collection of desirable useful things.

Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the breath of the LORD coming up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.

16 Let Samaria perish, because she has urged her God towards bitterness. Let them perish by the sword, let their little ones be thrown down, and let their pregnant women be cut in two.

Samaria shall bear her guilt; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.