Hosea 12

1 [The leaders of] Israel are constantly wavering [about seeking help from other countries]. [Seeking their help is as useless as] [MET] chasing the wind. They pile up their lies and violent acts. [First, ] they make a treaty with Assyria, and [then they] send olive oil to [the rulers of] Egypt [to seek their help].

Ephraim to pasture spirit: breath and to pursue east all [the] day lie and violence to multiply and covenant with Assyria to cut: make(covenant) and oil to/for Egypt to conduct

2 Yahweh [says that he] will bring accusations against [the leaders of] Judah, and that he will punish [the descendants of] Jacob for what they have done.

and strife to/for LORD with Judah and to/for to reckon: punish upon Jacob like/as way: conduct his like/as deed his to return: pay to/for him

3 [When Jacob was] in his mother’s womb, he grabbed his brother [Esau’s] heel [because he wanted to be born first]. When Jacob grew up, he wrestled with God.

in/on/with belly: womb to assail [obj] brother: male-sibling his and in/on/with strength his to strive with God

4 He struggled with [the one who had appeared to him in the form of] an angel, and Jacob defeated him, but [then] he cried and asked the angel to bless him. [Later], God came to Jacob at Bethel and talked with him there.

and to reign to(wards) messenger: angel and be able to weep and be gracious to/for him Bethel Bethel to find him and there to speak: speak with us

5 [That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!

and LORD God [the] Hosts LORD memorial his

6 But you [people of Israel] must return to your God! You must faithfully love [him], and you must do what is fair/just and always depend on him.

and you(m. s.) in/on/with God your to return: return kindness and justice to keep: careful and to await to(wards) God your continually

7 The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.

merchant in/on/with hand his balance deceit to/for to oppress to love: lover

8 [The people of] Israel boast, saying “We are [very] rich [DOU]; and we got all that money by our own efforts, and without committing any sin.”

and to say Ephraim surely to enrich to find strength to/for me all toil my not to find to/for me iniquity: crime which sin

9 “I am Yahweh your God, [the one who brought your ancestors] out of Egypt. [And some day] I will force you to live in tents again [like your ancestors did] when [they celebrated] the Festival [of Living in Temporary Shelters].

and I LORD God your from land: country/planet Egypt still to dwell you in/on/with tent like/as day meeting: festival

10 [Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”

and to speak: speak upon [the] prophet and I vision to multiply and in/on/with hand: by [the] prophet to resemble

11 [The people of] Gilead [city] are [RHQ] extremely wicked; they are worthless. The people sacrifice bulls in Gilgal [city], but their altars will [soon] become like [SIM] piles of stone [at the edge of] a plowed field.

if Gilead evil: wickedness surely vanity: vain to be in/on/with Gilgal cattle to sacrifice also altar their like/as heap upon furrow field

12 [Your ancestor] Jacob fled [from his brother Esau] and went to northwest Mesopotamia. He worked [for his uncle Laban for many years] to get a wife; he took care of [his uncle’s] sheep [to pay] for her.

and to flee Jacob land: country Aram and to serve Israel in/on/with woman: wife and in/on/with woman: wife to keep: guard

13 [Many years later, ] Yahweh enabled a prophet to bring the [ancestors of you] people of Israel here from Egypt; that prophet, [Moses], took care of them.

and in/on/with prophet to ascend: establish LORD [obj] Israel from Egypt and in/on/with prophet to keep: guard

14 [But now the people of] Israel have caused [Yahweh] to become very angry; Yahweh says that they deserve to die because they caused [many others] to die [MTY]; he will pay them back for the sins that they have committed against him and for insulting him.

to provoke Ephraim bitterness and blood his upon him to leave and reproach his to return: pay to/for him lord his