Hosea 13

1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he became guilty through Baal, he died.

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

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

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.

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

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.

4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt; and thou knowest no God but Me, and beside Me there is no saviour.

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.

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

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

6 When they were fed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me.

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

7 Therefore am I become unto them as a lion; as a leopard will I watch by the way;

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

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

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.

9 It is thy destruction, O Israel, that thou art against Me, against thy help.

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

10 Ho, now, thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities! and thy judges, of whom thou saidst: 'Give me a king and princes!'

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.

11 I give thee a king in Mine anger, and take him away in My wrath.

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

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

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

13 The throes 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.

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.

14 Shall I ransom them from the power of the nether-world? Shall I redeem them from death? Ho, thy plagues, O death! Ho, thy destruction, O nether-world! Repentance be hid from Mine eyes! (Sheol h7585)

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)

15 For though he be fruitful among the reed-plants, an east wind shall come, the wind 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 precious vessels.

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.

16 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.

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.