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.

According to the word of Ephraim he adopted ordinances for himself in Israel; and he established them for Baal, and 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 have sinned increasingly, and have made for themselves a molten image of their silver, according to the fashion of idols, the work of artificers accomplished for them: they say, Sacrifice men, for the calves have come to an end.

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 shall they be as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passes away, as chaff blown away from the threshing floor, and as a vapor from tears.

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.

But I am the Lord your God that establishes the heaven, and creates the earth, whose hands have framed the whole host of heaven: but I showed them not to you that you should go after them: and I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but me; and there is no Saviour beside me.

5 It was I who shepherded you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat.

I tended you as a shepherd in the wilderness, in an uninhabited land.

6 When they were pastured they became full, when they were full their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me!

According to their pastures, so they were completely filled; and their hearts were exalted; therefore they forgot me.

7 So now I will be to them like a lion, like a leopard will I lay in wait by the path.

And I will be to them as a panther, and as a leopard.

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 by the way of the Assyrians, as a she-bear excited, and I will rend the caul of their heart, and the lions' whelps of the thicket shall devour them there; the wild beasts of the field shall rend them in pieces.

9 You are destroyed, Israel, by me, your only helper.

O Israel, who will aid [you] in your destruction?

10 I want to rule you! Where are your princes in your cities, those of whom you demanded, ‘Give me kings and princes.’

Where is this your king? let him even save you in all your cities: let him judge you, of whom you said, Give me a king and a prince.

11 I give you kings in my anger, and take them away in my wrath.

And I gave you a king in mine anger, and kept [him] back in my wrath.

12 Ephrahn’s iniquity is gathered up, his sin is laid by in store.

Ephraim [has framed] a conspiracy of unrighteousness, his sin is hidden.

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!

Pains as of a woman in travail shall come upon him: he is your wise son, because he shall not stay in the destruction of [your] children.

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 deliver [them] out of the power of Hades, and will redeem them from death: where is your penalty, O death? O Hades, where is your sting? comfort is hidden from mine 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.

Forasmuch as he will cause a division among [his] brethren, the Lord shall bring upon him an east wind from the desert, and shall dry up his veins [and] quite drain his fountains: he shall dry up his land, and [spoil] all his precious 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 be utterly destroyed: for she has resisted her God; they shall fall by the sword, and their sucklings shall be dashed against the ground, and their women with child ripped up.