Hosea 13

1 When Ephraim speaketh tremblingly, He hath been lifted up in Israel, When he becometh guilty in Baal he dieth.

“When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but he became guilty because of Baal worship, and he 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.'

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.'

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.

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.

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.

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.

5 I — I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.

I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great dryness.

6 According to their feedings they are satiated, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,

When you had pasture, then you became full; and when you were filled, your heart became lifted up. For that reason you forgot me.

7 And I am to them as a lion, As a leopard by the way I look out.

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

8 I do meet them as a bereaved bear, And I rend the enclosure of their heart.

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.

9 And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field doth rend them.

I will destroy you, Israel; who will be able to help you?

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?'

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'?

11 I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.

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

12 Bound up [is] the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden [is] his sin,

Ephraim's iniquity has been stored up; his guilt has been stored up.

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.

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.

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)

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)

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 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.

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 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.