Hosea 13
1 When Ephraim speaketh tremblingly, He hath been lifted up in Israel, When he becometh guilty in Baal he dieth.
When Ephraim used to speak there was trembling; a prince was he in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
2 And now do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding — idols, A work of artisans — all of it, Of them they say, who [are] sacrificers among men, 'The calves let them kiss.'
And now they go on sinning. They make for themselves molten gods – idols of silver, skillfully made, wholly the work of smiths. Yet to such they sacrifice! And they who sacrifice kiss calf idols!
3 Therefore they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.
Therefore they shall be like the morning mist, like the dew that early disappears, like the chaff which blows away from the threshing floor, like the smoke from the window.
4 And I [am] Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, And a God besides Me thou dost not know, And a Saviour — there is none save Me.
Yet it was I, the Lord your God, ever since the land of Egypt, you know no other god but me, nor has there been any savior except me.
5 I — I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.
It was I who shepherded you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat.
6 According to their feedings they are satiated, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,
When they were pastured they became full, when they were full their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me!
7 And I am to them as a lion, As a leopard by the way I look out.
So now I will be to them like a lion, like a leopard will I lay in wait by the path.
8 I do meet them as a bereaved bear, And I rend the enclosure of their heart.
I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will tear open their chests, like a lion will devour them, and like a wild beast will tear them in pieces.
9 And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field doth rend them.
You are destroyed, Israel, by me, your only helper.
10 Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel, But in Me [is] thy help, Where [is] thy king now — And he doth save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou didst say, 'Give to me a king and heads?'
I want to rule you! Where are your princes in your cities, those of whom you demanded, “Give me kings and princes.”
11 I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.
I give you kings in my anger, and take them away in my wrath.
12 Bound up [is] the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden [is] his sin,
Ephrahn’s iniquity is gathered up, his sin is laid by in store.
13 Pangs of a travailing woman come to him, He [is] a son not wise, For he remaineth not the time for the breaking forth of sons.
The pangs of childbirth come upon him, but he is an unwise child. For this is no time to refuse to leave the womb!
14 From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I redeem them, Where [is] thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction, O Sheol? Repentance is hid from Mine eyes. (Sheol h7585)
Should I deliver them from the power of Sheol? Should I redeem them from death? Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your pestilence? Compassion is forever hidden from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)
15 Though he among brethren produceth fruit, Come in doth an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it drieth up his fountain, And become dry doth his spring, It — it spoileth a treasure — every desirable vessel.
Though he is flourishing among his brothers, there will come an east wind, the Lord’s wind, coming up from the wilderness. His fountain will dry up, his spring shall be parched. The wind will strip the treasury, all the precious things.
16 Become desolate doth Samaria, Because she hath rebelled against her God, By sword they do fall, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!
Samaria will bear her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their children dashed to pieces, their pregnant women ripped open.
