Hosea 13
1 When Ephraim used to speak there was trembling; a prince was he in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but when he offended in Baal, he died.
2 And now they go on sinning. They make for themselves molten gods – idols of silver, skilfully made, wholly the work of smiths. Yet to such they sacrifice! And they who sacrifice kiss calf idols!
And now they sin more and more, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.
3 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.
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passes away early, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
4 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 saviour except me.
Yet I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shall know no god but me, and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who shepherded you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat.
I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
6 When they were pastured they became full, when they were full their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me!
According to their pasture, so they were filled. They were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.
7 So now I will be to them like a lion, like a leopard will I lay in wait by the path.
Therefore I am to them as a lion. As a leopard I will watch by the way.
8 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.
I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart. And there I will devour them like a lioness. The wild beast shall tear them.
9 You are destroyed, Israel, by me, your only helper.
It is thy destruction, O Israel, that thou are against me, against thy help.
10 I want to rule you! Where are your princes in your cities, those of whom you demanded, ‘Give me kings and princes.’
Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities, and thy judges, of whom thou said, Give me a king and rulers?
11 I give you kings in my anger, and take them away in my wrath.
I have given thee a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.
12 Ephrahn’s iniquity is gathered up, his sin is laid by in store.
The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up. His sin is laid up in store.
13 The pangs of childbirth come upon him, but he is an unwise child. For this is no time to refuse to leave the womb!
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, for it is time he should not tarry in the place of the breaking forth of sons.
14 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)
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. O death, where are thy plagues? O Sheol, where is thy sting? Repentance shall be hid from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)
15 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.
Though he be fruitful among his brothers, an east wind shall come, the breath of Jehovah coming up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up. He shall make spoil of the treasure of all goodly vessels.
16 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.
Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword. Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
