Hosea 12

1Ephraim'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.

1Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day lying and spoiling he multiplieth, And a covenant with Asshur they make, And oil to Egypt is carried.

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

2And a controversy hath Jehovah with Judah, To lay a charge on Jacob according to his ways, According to his doings He returneth to him.

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

3In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And by his strength he was a prince with God,

4He 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;

4Yea, he is a prince unto the Messenger, And he overcometh <FI>by<Fi> weeping, And he maketh supplication to Him, At Bethel He doth find him, And there He doth speak with us,

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

5Even Jehovah, God of the Hosts, Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> His memorial.

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

6And thou, through thy God, dost turn, Kindness and judgment keep thou, And wait on thy God continually.

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

7Canaan! in his hand <FI>are<Fi> balances of deceit! To oppress he hath loved.

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

8And Ephraim saith: `Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself, All my labours--they find not against me iniquity that <FI>is<Fi> sin.'

9But 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.

9And I--Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, Again do I turn thee back into tents, As in the days of the appointed time.

10My 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.

10And I have spoken unto the prophets, And I have multiplied vision, And by the hand of the prophets I use similes.

11In 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.

11Surely Gilead <FI>is<Fi> iniquity, Only, vanity they have been, In Gilead bullocks they have sacrificed, Also their altars <FI>are<Fi> as heaps, on the furrows of a field.

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

12And Jacob doth flee to the country of Aram, And Israel doth serve for a wife, Yea, for a wife he hath kept watch.

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

13And by a prophet hath Jehovah brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet it hath been watched.

14I 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.

14Ephraim hath provoked most bitterly, And his blood on himself he leaveth, And his reproach turn back to him doth his Lord!