Hosea 13

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

Once when Ephraim spake, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel; But he offended through Baal, and 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 sin more and more, And have made to themselves molten images; Of their silver by their skill have they made idols; All of it is the work of artificers. They say concerning them, Whoever will sacrifice, let him 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 early dew, which passeth away; As chaff driven with a whirlwind from the thrashing-floor, And as smoke from the 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, Jehovah, have been thy God from the land of Egypt, And thou hast known no God but me; Yea, there was no saviour besides me.

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

I cared for thee in the desert, 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,

As they were fed, so they were filled; They were filled, and their heart was lifted up; Therefore they forgot me.

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

Therefore have I become to them as a lion; As a leopard I watch for them in 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 the caul of their heart, And there will I devour them as a lioness; The wild beast shall tear them.

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

It hath been thy destruction, O Israel, That against me, against thy help, thou hast rebelled!

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 is now thy king? Let him save thee in all thy cities! And where thy judges, In regard to whom 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 gave thee a king in mine anger, And I have taken him away in my wrath;

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

the iniquity of Ephraim is treasured up; His guilt is laid up in store.

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 pangs of a travailing woman shall come upon him; He is an unwise son, For else would he not tarry long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

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 will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death; O death, where is thy plague? O grave, where is thy destruction? Repentance is hidden from mine 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 be fruitful among his brethren, An east wind shall come, A wind of Jehovah shall come up from the desert, And his spring shall become dry, And his fountain shall be dried up, And the treasure of all his pleasant vessels shall be spoiled.

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 suffer for her guilt, For she hath rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword; Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child shall be ripped up.