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].
Efraim jagar efter vind och far efter östanväder; beständigt går han framåt i lögn och våld. Med Assur sluter man förbund, och olja för man till Egypten.
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.
Men HERREN skall gå till rätta med Juda och hemsöka Jakob, såsom hans vägar förtjäna; efter hans gärningar skall han vedergälla honom.
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.
I moderlivet grep han sin broder i hälen, och i sin mandomskraft kämpade han med Gud.
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.
Ja, han kämpade med ängeln och vann seger, han grät och bad honom om nåd. I Betel mötte han honom, och där talade han med oss.
5 [That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
Och HERREN, härskarornas Gud, »HERREN» är hans namn.
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.
Så vänd nu om till din Gud; håll fast vid kärlek och rätt, och förbida din Gud beständigt.
7 The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
Kanaans folk går med falsk våg i sin hand, det älskar orättrådig vinning;
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.”
så säger ock Efraim: »Jag har ju blivit rik, jag har förvärvat mig gods; vad jag än gör, skall det ej draga över mig skuld som kan räknas för synd.»
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].
Men jag som är HERREN, din Gud, alltsedan du var i Egyptens land, jag skall återigen låta dig bo i tält, likasom vid eder högtid.
10 [Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
Jag har talat till profeterna, jag har låtit dem skåda mångahanda syner, och genom profeterna har jag talat i liknelser.
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.
Är nu Gilead ett ogärningsnäste, där allenast falskhet råder, och offrar man tjurar i Gilgal, så skola ock deras altaren bliva lika stenrösen vid markens fåror.
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.
Och Jakob flydde till Arams mark Israel tjänade för en kvinna, för en kvinnas skull vaktade han hjorden.
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.
Men genom en profet förde HERREN Israel upp ur Egypten, och genom en profet blev folket bevarat.
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.
Efraim har uppväckt bitter förtörnelse; hans Herre skall låta hans blodskulder drabba honom och låta hans smädelser falla tillbaka på honom själv.
