Hosea 12

1 “Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day he multiplies lying and spoiling, And they make a covenant with Asshur, And oil is carried to Egypt.

Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; he multiplies lies and violence; he makes a covenant with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.

2 And YHWH has a controversy with Judah, To lay a charge on Jacob according to his ways, He returns to him according to his doings.

The LORD also brings a charge against Judah. He will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.

3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And by his strength he was a prince with God,

In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God.

4 Indeed, he is a prince to the Messenger, And he overcomes [by] weeping, And he makes supplication to Him, At Bethel He finds him, And there He speaks with us,

Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor; he found Him at Bethel and spoke with Him there —

5 Even YHWH, God of the Hosts, YHWH [is] His memorial.

the LORD is the God of Hosts— the LORD is His name of renown.

6 And you, through your God, turn, Keep kindness and judgment, And wait on your God continually.

But you must return to your God, maintaining love and justice, and always waiting on your God.

7 Canaan! In his hand [are] balances of deceit! He has loved to oppress.

A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.

8 And Ephraim says, Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself, All my labors—they do not find against me iniquity that [is] sin.

And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”

9 And I—your God YHWH from the land of Egypt, Again I turn you back into tents, As in the days of the appointed time.

But I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.

10 And I have spoken to the prophets, And I have multiplied vision, And by the hand of the prophets I use allegories.

I spoke through the prophets and multiplied their visions; I gave parables through the prophets.

11 Surely Gilead [is] iniquity, They have been only vanity, In Gilead they have sacrificed bullocks, Also their altars [are] as heaps, on the furrows of a field.

Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

12 And Jacob flees to the country of Aram, And Israel serves for a wife, Indeed, he has kept watch for a wife.

Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife— for a wife he tended sheep.

13 And by a prophet has YHWH brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet it has been watched.

But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.

14 Ephraim has most bitterly provoked, And he leaves his blood on himself, And his Lord turns his reproach back to him!”

Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt upon him and repay him for his contempt.