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 feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind; Every day he multiplieth falsehood and violence; They make a league with Assyria, And oil is carried into 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.

Therefore Jehovah hath a controversy with Judah. And he will punish Jacob for his ways, And requite him according to his doings.

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 took his brother by the heel, And in his strength he contended 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,

Yea, he contended with the angel, and prevailed; He wept, and made supplication to him. At Bethel he found him, And there he spake with us.

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

And Jehovah, the God of hosts, Jehovah is his name.

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

Therefore turn thou to thy God; Observe mercy and justice, And hope in thy God always!

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

He is a Canaanite; in his hands are the balances of deceit; He loveth to oppress.

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.'

Yet Ephraim saith, Lo, I have become rich; I have found myself substance; In all my earnings can be found no transgression in which there is guilt.

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.

Yet I, Jehovah, have been thy God from the land of Egypt; I will again cause thee to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn 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 have also spoken to the prophets, And I have given many visions, And by the prophets I have used similitudes.

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.

Behold, Gilead is full of iniquity; Surely they have become corrupt; In Gilgal they sacrifice oxen, And their altars are like the heaps 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 into the country of Syria, And Israel served for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.

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

By a prophet Jehovah brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet was he 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 hath provoked his Lord most bitterly; Therefore will he leave his blood upon him, And recompense to him his reproach.