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.

Once when Ephraim spake, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel; But he offended through Baal, and 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 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 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 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 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, 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 knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great dryness.

I cared for thee in the desert, 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.

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

7 I will become like a lion to them; like a leopard I will watch along the path.

Therefore have I become to them as a lion; As a leopard I watch for them in 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 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 I will destroy you, Israel; who will be able to help you?

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

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 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 gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.

I gave thee a king in mine anger, And I 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 treasured up; His guilt 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.