Hosea 13
1 When Ephraim used to speak there was trembling; a prince was he in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
When Ephraim spoke, a horror seized Israel: and he sinned in Baal and died.
2 And now they go on sinning. They make for themselves molten gods – idols of silver, skilfully made, wholly the work of smiths. Yet to such they sacrifice! And they who sacrifice kiss calf idols!
And now they have sinned more and more: and they have made to themselves a molten thing of their silver as the likeness of idols: the whole is the work of craftsmen: to these that say: Sacrifice men, ye that adore calves.
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning mist, like the dew that early disappears, like the chaff which blows away from the threshing floor, like the smoke from the window.
Therefore they shall be as a morning aloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the dust that is driven with a whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
4 Yet it was I, the Lord your God, ever since the land of Egypt, you know no other god but me, nor has there been any saviour except me.
But I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: and thou shalt know no God but me, and there is no saviour beside me.
5 It was I who shepherded you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat.
I knew thee in the desert, in the land of the wilderness.
6 When they were pastured they became full, when they were full their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me!
According to their pastures they were filled, and were made full: and they lifted up their heart, and have forgotten me.
7 So now I will be to them like a lion, like a leopard will I lay in wait by the path.
And I will be to them as a lioness, as a leopard in the way of the Assyrians.
8 I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will tear open their chests, like a lion will devour them, and like a wild beast will tear them in pieces.
I will meet them as a bear that is robbed of her whelps, and I will rend the inner parts of their liver: and I will devour them there as a lion, the beast of the field shall tear them.
9 You are destroyed, Israel, by me, your only helper.
Destruction is thy own, O Israel: thy help is only in me.
10 I want to rule you! Where are your princes in your cities, those of whom you demanded, ‘Give me kings and princes.’
Where is thy king? now especially let him save thee in all thy cities: and thy judges, of whom thou saidst: Give me kings and princes.
11 I give you kings in my anger, and take them away in my wrath.
I will give thee a king in my wrath, and will take him away in my indignation.
12 Ephrahn’s iniquity is gathered up, his sin is laid by in store.
The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hidden.
13 The pangs of childbirth come upon him, but he is an unwise child. For this is no time to refuse to leave the womb!
The sorrows of a woman in labour snail come upon him, he is an unwise son: for now he shall not stand in the breach of the children.
14 Should I deliver them from the power of Sheol? Should I redeem them from death? Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your pestilence? Compassion is forever hidden from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)
I will deliver them out of the hand of death. I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy death; O hell, I will be thy bite: comfort is hidden from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)
15 Though he is flourishing among his brothers, there will come an east wind, the Lord’s wind, coming up from the wilderness. His fountain will dry up, his spring shall be parched. The wind will strip the treasury, all the precious things.
Because he shall make a separation between brothers: the Lord will bring a burning wind that shall rise from the desert, and it shall dry up his springs, and shall make his fountain desolate, and he shall carry off the treasure of every desirable vessel.
16 Samaria will bear her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their children dashed to pieces, their pregnant women ripped open.
Let Samaria perish, because she hath stirred up her God to bitterness: let them perish by the sword, let their little ones be dashed, and let the women with child be ripped up.
