Hosea 13

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

When Ephraim speaketh tremblingly, He hath been lifted up in Israel, When he becometh guilty in Baal he dieth.

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 do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding — idols, A work of artisans — all of it, Of them they say, who [are] sacrificers among men, 'The calves let them kiss.'

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 they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.

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.

And I [am] Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, And a God besides Me thou dost not know, And a Saviour — there is none save Me.

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

I — I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.

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

According to their feedings they are satiated, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,

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

And I am to them as a lion, As a leopard by the way I look out.

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 do meet them as a bereaved bear, And I rend the enclosure of their heart.

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

And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field doth rend them.

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!'

Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel, But in Me [is] thy help, Where [is] thy king now — And he doth save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou didst say, 'Give to me a king and heads?'

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

I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.

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

Bound up [is] the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden [is] his sin,

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.

Pangs of a travailing woman come to him, He [is] a son not wise, For he remaineth not the time for the breaking forth of sons.

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)

From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I redeem them, Where [is] thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction, O Sheol? Repentance is hid 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.

Though he among brethren produceth fruit, Come in doth an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it drieth up his fountain, And become dry doth his spring, It — it spoileth a treasure — every desirable vessel.

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.

Become desolate doth Samaria, Because she hath rebelled against her God, By sword they do fall, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!