Hosea 12

1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and pursueth the east wind; the whole day he increaseth deceit and corruption; and a covenant do they make with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

Ephraim feeds on the wind and follows after the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and violence. They make a covenant with Assyria and carry olive oil to Egypt.

2 But with Judah also hath the Lord [to hold] a controversy; and to punish Jacob according to his ways, according to his doings will he recompense him.

Yahweh also has a lawsuit against Judah and will punish Jacob for what he has done; he will repay him for his deeds.

3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his strength he strove with an angel.

In the womb Jacob grasped his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he struggled with God.

4 Yea, he strove with an angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him: in Beth-el he should find him, and there he will speak with us.

He struggled with the angel and won. He wept and begged for his favor. He met God at Bethel; there God spoke with him.

5 And the Lord God of hosts, the Eternal One is his memorial.

This is Yahweh, the God of hosts; “Yahweh” is his name to be called on.

6 Therefore do thou return to thy God: keep goodness and justice, and wait on thy God continually.

So turn to your God. Keep covenantal faithfulness and justice, and wait continually for your God.

7 But like a merchant, who hath the balances of deceit in his hand, loving to overreach,

The merchants have false scales in their hands; they love to defraud.

8 Did Ephraim say, I am certainly become rich, I have acquired substance unto myself: it is all through my labors; they will find no iniquity in me, that could be sin.

Ephraim said, “I have certainly become very rich; I have found wealth for myself. In all my work they will not find any iniquity in me, anything that would be sin.”

9 And I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of antiquity.

“I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt. I will again make you live in tents, as in the days of the appointed festival.

10 And I have spoken through the prophets, and I myself have multiplied visions, and by the means of the prophets have I spoken in similitudes.

I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions for you. By the hand of the prophets I gave parables.”

11 If in Gil'ad there was misfortune, [it is because] there was naught but idolatry; in Gilgal they sacrificed bullocks [to idols]: their altars also are as stone-heaps on the furrows of the fields.

If there is wickedness in Gilead, surely the people are worthless. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls; their altars will be like heaps of stone in the furrows of the fields.

12 And Jacob fled into the fields of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [the flocks].

Jacob fled to the land of Aram; Israel worked in order to get a wife; and he kept flocks of sheep to get a wife.

13 And by a prophet did the Lord bring Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he guarded.

Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt by a prophet, and by a prophet he took care of them.

14 [Yet] Ephraim provoked [him] to anger most bitterly: therefore will his Lord cast his blood-guiltiness upon him, and his reproach will he recompense unto him.

Ephraim has bitterly angered Yahweh. So his Lord will leave his blood on him and will turn back on him his disgrace.