Hosea 12

1 Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day lying and spoiling he multiplieth, And a covenant with Asshur they make, And oil to Egypt is carried.

Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; he multiplies lies and violence; he makes a covenant with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.

2 And a controversy hath Jehovah with Judah, To lay a charge on Jacob according to his ways, According to his doings He returneth to him.

The LORD also brings a charge against Judah. He will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.

3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And by his strength he was a prince with God,

In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God.

4 Yea, he is a prince unto the Messenger, And he overcometh [by] weeping, And he maketh supplication to Him, At Bethel He doth find him, And there He doth speak with us,

Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor; he found Him at Bethel and spoke with Him there —

5 Even Jehovah, God of the Hosts, Jehovah [is] His memorial.

the LORD is the God of Hosts— the LORD is His name of renown.

6 And thou, through thy God, dost turn, Kindness and judgment keep thou, And wait on thy God continually.

But you must return to your God, maintaining love and justice, and always waiting on your God.

7 Canaan! in his hand [are] balances of deceit! To oppress he hath loved.

A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.

8 And Ephraim saith: 'Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself, All my labours — they find not against me iniquity that [is] sin.'

And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”

9 And I — Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, Again do I turn thee back into tents, As in the days of the appointed time.

But I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.

10 And I have spoken unto the prophets, And I have multiplied vision, And by the hand of the prophets I use similes.

I spoke through the prophets and multiplied their visions; I gave parables through the prophets.

11 Surely Gilead [is] iniquity, Only, vanity they have been, In Gilead bullocks they have sacrificed, Also their altars [are] as heaps, on the furrows of a field.

Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

12 And Jacob doth flee to the country of Aram, And Israel doth serve for a wife, Yea, for a wife he hath kept watch.

Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife— for a wife he tended sheep.

13 And by a prophet hath Jehovah brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet it hath been watched.

But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.

14 Ephraim hath provoked most bitterly, And his blood on himself he leaveth, And his reproach turn back to him doth his Lord!

Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt upon him and repay him for his contempt.