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 feeds on wind and follows burning heat; all day long he multiplies lies and desolation. And he has entered into a pact with the Assyrians, and he has carried oil into 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.

Therefore, the judgment of the Lord is with Judah and a visitation is upon Jacob. He will repay him according to his ways and according to his inventions.

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 supplanted his brother; for in his good fortune, he had been guided by an angel.

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,

And he prevailed over an angel, for he had been strengthened. He wept and petitioned him. He found him in Bethel, and there he has spoken to us.

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

And the Lord God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial.

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

And so, you should convert to your God. Keep mercy and judgment, and have hope in your God always.

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

Canaan, in his hand is a deceitful balance, he has chosen false accusations.

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 has said, “Nevertheless, I have become rich; I have found an idol for myself. All of my labors will not reveal to me the iniquity that I have committed.”

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.

And I, the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, nevertheless will cause you to dwell in tabernacles, just as during the days of the feast.

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

And I have spoken through the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and I have used parables through the hands of 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.

If Gilead is an idol, then they have been sacrificing cattle in Gilgal to no purpose. For even their altars are like clutter on the soil 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 into the region of Syria, and Israel served like a wife, and was served by a wife.

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

Yet by a prophet the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, and he was served by a prophet.

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 me to wrath with his bitterness, and his blood will overcome him, and his Lord will requite him for his shamefulness.