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 herds the wind and hunts the sirocco. All day long they heap up falsehood and fraud, make a treaty with Assyria, and sends tribute of 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 has a charge to bring against Israel, to punish Jacob for his acts, according to his deeds will he requite him,

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 supplanted his brother, in manhood 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,

He wrestled with the angel and prevailed, he wept and sought his blessing. At Bethel the Lord found him, and there he spoke with us.

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

And the Lord is the God of hosts, the Lord is his name!

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

So now, by the help of your God, return. Keep true love and justice. Trust in your God without ceasing.

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

A merchant uses false scales: They love to defraud.

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.'

Ephraim says, “Yes, I have become rich, I have secured wealth for myself. But despite my gains no one will find a crime I can be convicted of!”

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.

I am the Lord your God, ever since the land of Egypt. I will make you again dwell in tents, as in days of old.

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 continually by the prophets. It was I who multiplied visions, and spoke in 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.

In Gilead is iniquity, they will come to nothing. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls, so their altars will be as stone heaps, among 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.

And Jacob fled to the territory of Aram, and Israel worked to earn a wife: for a wife he herded sheep.

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

The Lord brought Israel up from Egypt by a prophet, and by a prophet Israel was guarded.

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 given bitter provocation. His Lord will leave upon him his guilt of bloodshed, and for his contempt he will repay him.