Hosea 13

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

When once Ephraim spoke, [all] trembled, so high was he exalted in Israel; but he offended through Ba'al, and he 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.

And now they yet continue to sin, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, idols according to their own imagining, every one of them the work of the artisan: they say to them, They that sacrifice men may kiss the calves.

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.

Therefore shall they be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away, as the chaff that is driven by the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as smoke out of a window.

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 thy God from the land of Egypt: and no god but me shalt thou know, and there is no saviour beside me.

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

I myself did provide for thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

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

When they came to their pasture, they became sated; they were sated, and their heart was lifted up: therefore have they forgotten me.

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

And now I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard will I lie in wait by the way.

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 meet them as a bear bereaved of her whelps, and I will rend their closed-up heart; and I will devour them there like a lioness, the beasts of the field shall rend them.

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

Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel; for against me, against thy helper [didst thou rebel.]

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 now thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges, since thou saidst, Give me a king, and princes?

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

I give thee a king in my anger, and take him away in my wrath.

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

Bound up is the iniquity of Ephraim, treasured up is his sin.

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 pains of a travailing woman shall come upon him; he is an unwise son; for he will not remain steadfast at the time of the breaking forth of the child.

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)

From the power of the grave would I ransom them, from death would I redeem them; [but now] where are thy plagues, O death, where is thy pestilence, O grave? compassion shall be hidden from my eyes. (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.

Though he grow luxuriantly in the green meadows, the east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord, rising up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: the same shall plunder the treasure of all precious vessels.

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 shall meet her punishment; for she hath rebelled against her God: by the sword shall they fall; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women shall be ripped up.