Hosea 13
1 “When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but he became guilty because of Baal worship, and he died.
When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but when he offended in Baal, he died.
2 Now they sin more and more. They make cast metal figures from their silver, idols as skillfully worked as possible, all of them the work of the craftsmen. People say of them, 'These men who sacrifice kiss calves.'
And now they sin more and more, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.
3 So they will be like the morning clouds, like the dew that goes away early, like the chaff that is driven by the wind away from a threshing floor, and like smoke out of a chimney.
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passes away early, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
4 But I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me; you must acknowledge that besides me, there is no other savior.
Yet I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shall know no god but me, and besides me there is no savior.
5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great dryness.
I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
6 When you had pasture, then you became full; and when you were filled, your heart became lifted up. For that reason you forgot me.
According to their pasture, so they were filled. They were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.
7 I will become like a lion to them; like a leopard I will watch along the path.
Therefore I am to them as a lion. As a leopard I will watch by the way.
8 I will attack them as a bear that is robbed of her cubs. I will rip open their chests, and there I will devour them as a lion, as a wild beast would tear them to pieces.
I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart. And there I will devour them like a lioness. The wild beast shall tear them.
9 I will destroy you, Israel; who will be able to help you?
It is thy destruction, O Israel, that thou are against me, against thy help.
10 Where now is your king, that he may save you in all your cities? Where are your rulers, about whom you said to me, 'Give me a king and princes'?
Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities, and thy judges, of whom thou said, Give me a king and rulers?
11 I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.
I have given thee a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.
12 Ephraim's iniquity has been stored up; his guilt has been stored up.
The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up. His sin is laid up in store.
13 Pains of childbirth will come on him, but he is an unwise son, for when it is time to be born, he does not come out of the womb.
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, for it is time he should not tarry in the place of the breaking forth of sons.
14 Will I rescue them from the hand of Sheol? Will I rescue them from death? Where, death, are your plagues? Where, Sheol, is your destruction? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.” (Sheol h7585)
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. O death, where are thy plagues? O Sheol, where is thy sting? Repentance shall be hid from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)
15 Though Ephraim is prosperous among his brothers, an east wind will come; the wind of Yahweh will blow in from the wilderness. Ephraim's spring will dry up, and his well will have no water. His enemy will plunder his storehouse of every precious object.
Though he be fruitful among his brothers, an east wind shall come, the breath of Jehovah coming up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up. He shall make spoil of the treasure of all goodly vessels.
16 Samaria will be guilty, for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their young children will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.
Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she has 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.
