Hosea 12
1 Ephraim is fed with the winde, and followeth after the East winde: hee increaseth daily lies and destruction, and they do make a couenant with Asshur, and oyle is caried into Egypt.
[The leaders of] Israel are constantly wavering [about seeking help from other countries]. [Seeking their help is as useless as] [MET] chasing the wind. They pile up their lies and violent acts. [First, ] they make a treaty with Assyria, and [then they] send olive oil to [the rulers of] Egypt [to seek their help].
2 The Lord hath also a controuersie with Iudah, and will visite Iaakob, according to his waies: according to his workes, wil he recompence him.
Yahweh [says that he] will bring accusations against [the leaders of] Judah, and that he will punish [the descendants of] Jacob for what they have done.
3 Hee tooke his brother by the heele in the wombe, and by his strength he had power with God,
[When Jacob was] in his mother’s womb, he grabbed his brother [Esau’s] heel [because he wanted to be born first]. When Jacob grew up, he wrestled with God.
4 And had power ouer the Angel, and preuailed: he wept and praied vnto him: he founde him in Beth-el, and there he spake with vs.
He struggled with [the one who had appeared to him in the form of] an angel, and Jacob defeated him, but [then] he cried and asked the angel to bless him. [Later], God came to Jacob at Bethel and talked with him there.
5 Yea, the Lord God of hostes, the Lord is himselfe his memoriall.
[That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
6 Therefore turne thou to thy God: keepe mercy and iudgement, and hope still in thy God.
But you [people of Israel] must return to your God! You must faithfully love [him], and you must do what is fair/just and always depend on him.
7 He is Canaan: the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loueth to oppresse.
The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
8 And Ephraim saide, Notwithstanding I am rich, I haue found me out riches in all my labours: they shall finde none iniquitie in me, that were wickednesse.
[The people of] Israel boast, saying “We are [very] rich [DOU]; and we got all that money by our own efforts, and without committing any sin.”
9 Though I am the Lord thy God, from the land of Egypt, yet will I make thee to dwel in the tabernacles, as in the daies of the solemne feast.
“I am Yahweh your God, [the one who brought your ancestors] out of Egypt. [And some day] I will force you to live in tents again [like your ancestors did] when [they celebrated] the Festival [of Living in Temporary Shelters].
10 I haue also spoken by the Prophets, and I haue multiplied visions, and vsed similitudes by the ministerie of the Prophets.
[Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
11 Is there iniquitie in Gilead? surely they are vanitie: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal, and their altars are as heapes in the furrowes of the field.
[The people of] Gilead [city] are [RHQ] extremely wicked; they are worthless. The people sacrifice bulls in Gilgal [city], but their altars will [soon] become like [SIM] piles of stone [at the edge of] a plowed field.
12 And Iaakob fled into the countrey of Aram, and Israel serued for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheepe.
[Your ancestor] Jacob fled [from his brother Esau] and went to northwest Mesopotamia. He worked [for his uncle Laban for many years] to get a wife; he took care of [his uncle’s] sheep [to pay] for her.
13 And by a Prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a Prophet was he reserued.
[Many years later, ] Yahweh enabled a prophet to bring the [ancestors of you] people of Israel here from Egypt; that prophet, [Moses], took care of them.
14 But Ephraim prouoked him with hie places: therefore shall his blood be powred vpon him, and his reproche shall his Lord reward him.
[But now the people of] Israel have caused [Yahweh] to become very angry; Yahweh says that they deserve to die because they caused [many others] to die [MTY]; he will pay them back for the sins that they have committed against him and for insulting him.
