Hosea 12

1 Ephraim's food is the wind, and he goes after the east wind: deceit and destruction are increasing day by day; they make an agreement with Assyria, and take oil into Egypt.

Ephraim feedeth on the wind, and followeth the burning heat: all the day long he multiplied lies and desolation: and he hath made a covenant with the Assyrians, and carried oil into Egypt.

2 The Lord has a cause against Judah, and will give punishment to Jacob for his ways; he will give him the reward of his acts.

Therefore there is a judgment of the Lord with Juda, and a visitation for Jacob: he will render to him according to his ways, and according to his devices.

3 In the body of his mother he took his brother by the foot, and in his strength he was fighting with God;

In the womb he supplanted his brother: and by his strength he had success with an angel.

4 He had a fight with the angel and overcame him; he made request for grace to him with weeping; he came face to face with him in Beth-el and there his words came to him;

And he prevailed over the angel, and was strengthened: he wept, and made supplication to him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us.

5 Even the Lord, the God of armies; the Lord is his name.

Even the Lord the God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial.

6 So then, come back to your God; keep mercy and right, and be waiting at all times on your God.

Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and hope in thy God always.

7 As for Canaan, the scales of deceit are in his hands; he takes pleasure in twisted ways.

He is like Chanaan, there is a deceitful balance in his hand, he hath loved oppression.

8 And Ephraim said, Now I have got wealth and much property; in all my works no sin may be seen in me.

And Ephraim said: But yet I am become rich, I have found me an idol: all my labours shall not find me the iniquity that I have committed.

9 But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will give you tents for your living-places again as in the days of the holy meeting.

And I that am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, will yet cause thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the feast.

10 My word came to the ears of the prophets and I gave them visions in great number, and by the mouths of the prophets I made use of comparisons.

And I have spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and I have used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets.

11 In Gilead there is evil. They are quite without value; in Gilgal they make offerings of oxen; truly their altars are like masses of stones in the hollows of a ploughed field.

If Galaad be an idol, then in vain were they in Galgal offering sacrifices with bullocks: for their altars also are as heaps in the furrows of the field.

12 And Jacob went in flight into the field of Aram, and Israel became a servant for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and was a keeper for a wife.

13 And by a prophet the Lord made Israel come up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was kept safe.

But the Lord by a prophet brought Israel out of Egypt: and he was preserved by a prophet.

14 I have been bitterly moved to wrath by Ephraim; so that his blood will be on him, and the Lord will make his shame come back on him.

Ephraim hath provoked me to wrath with his bitterness, and his blood shall come upon him, and his Lord will render his reproach unto him.