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 feedeth on the wind, and followeth the burning heat: all the day long he multiplied lies and desolation: and he hath made a covenant with the Assyrians, and 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 there is a judgment of the Lord with Juda, and a visitation for Jacob: he will render to him according to his ways, and according to his devices.

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: and by his strength he had success with 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 the angel, and was strengthened: he wept, and made supplication to him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us.

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

Even the Lord the 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.

Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and hope in thy God always.

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

He is like Chanaan, there is a deceitful balance in his hand, he hath loved oppression.

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 said: But yet I am become rich, I have found me an idol: all my labours shall not find 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 that am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, will yet cause thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in 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 by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and I have used similitudes by the ministry 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 Galaad be an idol, then in vain were they in Galgal offering sacrifices with bullocks: for their altars also are as heaps 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 into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and was a keeper for a wife.

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

But the Lord by a prophet brought Israel out of Egypt: and he was preserved 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 hath provoked me to wrath with his bitterness, and his blood shall come upon him, and his Lord will render his reproach unto him.