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 wind, and followeth after the east wind; Every day he multiplieth falsehood and violence; They make a league with Assyria, And oil is carried 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 Jehovah hath a controversy with Judah. And he will punish Jacob for his ways, And requite him according to his doings.

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 took his brother by the heel, And in his strength he contended 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,

Yea, he contended with the angel, and prevailed; He wept, and made supplication to him. At Bethel he found him, And there he spake with us.

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

And Jehovah, the God of hosts, Jehovah is his name.

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

Therefore turn thou to thy God; Observe mercy and justice, And hope in thy God always!

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

He is a Canaanite; in his hands are the balances of deceit; He loveth to oppress.

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.

Yet Ephraim saith, Lo, I have become rich; I have found myself substance; In all my earnings can be found no transgression in which there is guilt.

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.

Yet I, Jehovah, have been thy God from the land of Egypt; I will again cause thee to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn 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 have also spoken to the prophets, And I have given many visions, And by the prophets I have used similitudes.

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.

Behold, Gilead is full of iniquity; Surely they have become corrupt; In Gilgal they sacrifice oxen, And their altars are like the 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 for a wife he kept sheep.

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

By a prophet Jehovah brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet was he preserved.

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 his Lord most bitterly; Therefore will he leave his blood upon him, And recompense to him his reproach.