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 when he became guilty in Baal, 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, 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, 'They offer human sacrifice and kiss the 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.

Therefore they will be like the morning mist, and like the dew that passes away early, like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, and like the smoke out of the 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.

"Yet I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; and you shall acknowledge no god but me, and besides me there is no savior.

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

I fed you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

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

According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.

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

Therefore I am like a lion to them. Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.

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

I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs, and will tear the covering of their heart. There I will devour them like a lioness. The wild animal will tear them.

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

You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your help.

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 is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes?'

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

I have given you a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.

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

The guilt of Ephraim is stored up. His sin is 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.

The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him. He is an unwise son; for when it is time, he doesn't come to the opening 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)

I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. Death, where is your victory? Sheol, where is your sting? "Compassion will be 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 he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come, the breath of the LORD coming up from the wilderness; and his spring will become dry, and his fountain will be dried up. He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.

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 bear her guilt; for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open."