Hosea 13

1 “When Ephraim speaks tremblingly, He has been lifted up in Israel, When he becomes guilty in Ba‘al he dies.

When Ephraim spoke, they were feared, for they were the leading tribe in Israel. But when they were guilty of Baal worship, they died.

2 And now they sin, And make for themselves a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding—idols, A work of artisans—all of it, Of them they say, who [are] sacrificers among men, The calves let them kiss.

Now they constantly sin, making for themselves idols from molten metal. All of these idols are skillfully made from silver by their craftsmen. “Offer sacrifices to these idols,” say the people. “Kiss the bull calf idols.”

3 Therefore they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.

Consequently they will be like the morning mist, like early morning dew, like chaff blowing away from the threshing floor, like smoke from a chimney.

4 And I [am] your God YHWH from the land of Egypt, And you do not know a God besides Me, And a Savior—there is none except Me.

Yet I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. You shall know no other gods but me. None can save you except me.

5 I have known you in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.

I looked after you in the wilderness; in that dry desert land it was like pasture to them

6 They are satiated according to their feedings, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,

and they were satisfied. But when they were satisfied they became arrogant, and they forgot me.

7 And I am to them as a lion, I look out as a leopard by the way.

So I will be like a lion to them, like a leopard I will lie in wait beside the path.

8 I meet them as a bereaved bear, And I tear the enclosure of their heart, And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field tears them.

I will be like a mother bear whose cubs have been taken, I will rip out their hearts. I shall devour them like a lion, like a wild beast I will tear them apart.

9 You have destroyed yourself, O Israel, But in Me [is] your help;

You have destroyed yourselves, Israel, for your only help is in me.

10 Where [is] your king now—And he saves you in all your cities? And your judges of whom you said, Give a king and heads to me?

Where then is your king? Let him save you in all your cities! Where are your leaders who demanded a king and princes from me?

11 I give to you a king in My anger, And I take away in My wrath.

In my anger I give you a king, and in my fury I take one.

12 Bound up [is] the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden [is] his sin,

Ephraim's guilt is packed up; their sin will be eradicated.

13 Pangs of a travailing woman come to him, He [is] not a wise son, For he does not remain [at] the time for the breaking forth of sons.

The pain of childbirth has come to them, trying to give birth to a son who is not “wise” because he is not in the right position when the time comes.

14 Will I ransom them from the hand of Sheol? Will I redeem them from death? Where [is] your plague, O death? Where your destruction, O Sheol? Comfort is hid from My eyes. (Sheol h7585)

I shall redeem them from the power of Sheol; I shall deliver them from death. Where, death, are your plagues? Where, Sheol, is your destruction? Compassion is hidden from my sight. (Sheol h7585)

15 Though he produces fruit among brothers, An east wind comes in, a wind of YHWH, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it dries up his fountain, And his spring becomes dry, It—it spoils a treasure—every desirable vessel.

Even though they flourish among the reeds, an east wind will come, a wind from the Lord that rises in the desert will dry up their springs and their wells will fail. It will rob from their treasury everything of value.

16 Samaria becomes desolate, Because she has been rebellious against her God, They fall by sword, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!”

Samaria will have to bear the consequences of their guilt, because they rebelled against her God. They will be slaughtered by the sword; their children will be dashed to the ground; their pregnant women will be ripped open.