Hosea 12

1 Ephraim herds the wind and hunts the sirocco. All day long they heap up falsehood and fraud, make a treaty with Assyria, and sends tribute of olive oil to Egypt.

Ephraim feedeth on wind, and pursueth the east wind; the whole day he increaseth deceit and corruption; and a covenant do they make with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

2 The Lord has a charge to bring against Israel, to punish Jacob for his acts, according to his deeds will he requite him,

But with Judah also hath the Lord [to hold] a controversy; and to punish Jacob according to his ways, according to his doings will he recompense him.

3 In the womb he supplanted his brother, in manhood he wrestled with God,

In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his strength he strove with an angel.

4 He wrestled with the angel and prevailed, he wept and sought his blessing. At Bethel the Lord found him, and there he spoke with us.

Yea, he strove with an angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him: in Beth-el he should find him, and there he will speak with us.

5 And the Lord is the God of hosts, the Lord is his name!

And the Lord God of hosts, the Eternal One is his memorial.

6 So now, by the help of your God, return. Keep true love and justice. Trust in your God without ceasing.

Therefore do thou return to thy God: keep goodness and justice, and wait on thy God continually.

7 A merchant uses false scales: They love to defraud.

But like a merchant, who hath the balances of deceit in his hand, loving to overreach,

8 Ephraim says, ‘Yes, I have become rich, I have secured wealth for myself. But despite my gains no one will find a crime I can be convicted of!’

Did Ephraim say, I am certainly become rich, I have acquired substance unto myself: it is all through my labors; they will find no iniquity in me, that could be sin.

9 I am the Lord your God, ever since the land of Egypt. I will make you again dwell in tents, as in days of old.

And I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of antiquity.

10 I spoke continually by the prophets. It was I who multiplied visions, and spoke in parables through the prophets.

And I have spoken through the prophets, and I myself have multiplied visions, and by the means of the prophets have I spoken in similitudes.

11 In Gilead is iniquity, they will come to nothing. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls, so their altars will be as stone heaps, among the furrows of the field.

If in Gil'ad there was misfortune, [it is because] there was naught but idolatry; in Gilgal they sacrificed bullocks [to idols]: their altars also are as stone-heaps on the furrows of the fields.

12 And Jacob fled to the territory of Aram, and Israel worked to earn a wife: for a wife he herded sheep.

And Jacob fled into the fields of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [the flocks].

13 The Lord brought Israel up from Egypt by a prophet, and by a prophet Israel was guarded.

And by a prophet did the Lord bring Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he guarded.

14 Ephraim has given bitter provocation. His Lord will leave upon him his guilt of bloodshed, and for his contempt he will repay him.

[Yet] Ephraim provoked [him] to anger most bitterly: therefore will his Lord cast his blood-guiltiness upon him, and his reproach will he recompense unto him.