Hosea 13
New American Standard Bible
Ephraim’s Idolatry
13 (A)When Ephraim [a]spoke, there was trembling.
He (B)exalted himself in Israel,
But through (C)Baal he incurred guilt and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves (D)cast metal images,
Idols [b](E)skillfully made from their silver,
All of them the (F)work of craftsmen.
They say of them, “Let the [c]people who sacrifice kiss the (G)calves!”
3 Therefore they will be like the (H)morning cloud
And like dew which [d]soon disappears,
Like (I)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor,
And like (J)smoke from a chimney.
4 Yet I have been the (K)Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (L)any god except Me,
For there is no savior (M)besides Me.
5 I [e](N)cared for you in the wilderness,
(O)In the land of drought.
6 As they had their pasture, they became (P)satisfied,
And as they became satisfied, their (Q)heart became proud;
Therefore they (R)forgot Me.
7 So I will be (S)like a lion to them;
Like a (T)leopard I will [f]lie in wait by the wayside.
8 I will confront them (U)like a bear deprived of her cubs,
And I will tear open [g]their chests;
I will also (V)devour them there like a lioness,
As a wild animal would tear them to pieces.
9 [h]It is to your own destruction, Israel,
That you are (W)against Me, against your (X)help.
10 Where then is your (Y)king,
That he might save you in all your cities;
And your (Z)judges, to whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (AA)gave you a king in My anger,
And (AB)took him away in My wrath.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is wrapped up;
His sin is (AC)stored up.
13 The pains of (AD)childbirth come on him;
He is (AE)not a wise son,
For [i]it is not the time that he should (AF)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (AG)ransom them from the [j]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(AH)Death, where are your [k]thorns?
Sheol, where is your sting?
(AI)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.
15 Though he (AJ)flourishes among the [l]reeds,
An (AK)east wind will come,
The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness;
And his fountain will (AL)become dry
And his spring will dry up;
It will (AM)plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 [m]Samaria will pay the penalty for her (AN)guilt,
Because she has (AO)rebelled against her God.
(AP)They will fall by the (AQ)sword,
Their children will be [n](AR)slaughtered,
And their pregnant (AS)women will be ripped open.
Footnotes
- Hosea 13:1 Or spoke with trembling, he exalted
- Hosea 13:2 Or according to their skill
- Hosea 13:2 Lit sacrificers of; or among mankind
- Hosea 13:3 Lit goes away early
- Hosea 13:5 Or knew
- Hosea 13:7 Or watch
- Hosea 13:8 Lit the enclosure of their heart
- Hosea 13:9 Lit It has destroyed you
- Hosea 13:13 Lit it is the time that he should not remain at the opening of children
- Hosea 13:14 Lit hand
- Hosea 13:14 Or stings
- Hosea 13:15 Another reading is brothers
- Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Heb
- Hosea 13:16 Lit shattered
Hosea 13
Amplified Bible
Ephraim’s Idolatry
13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling and terror.
He exalted himself [above the other tribes] in Israel;
But through [the worship of] Baal he became guilty and died [spiritually, and then came ruin, sealing Israel’s doom as a nation].
2
And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves molten images,
Idols skillfully made from their silver [as it pleased them],
All of them the work of the craftsmen.
They say of these [very works of their hands], “Let those who sacrifice kiss and show respect to the calves [as if they were living gods]!”
3
Therefore they will be [swiftly dissipated] like the morning cloud
Or like dew which soon disappears,
Like chaff which swirls with the whirlwind from the threshing floor,
And like smoke from the chimney or through the window [worthless and without substance —they will vanish].
4
Yet I have been the Lord your God
Since [the time you became a nation in] the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know any god except Me,
For there is no savior besides Me.
5
I knew and regarded you and cared for you in the wilderness,
In the land of drought.
6
When they had their pasture, they became satisfied,
And being satisfied, their heart became proud (self-centered);
Therefore they forgot Me.
7
So I will be like a lion to them;
Like a leopard I will watch and lie in wait [ready to attack] by the road [to Assyria].
8
I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs,
And I will tear open their chests;
There I will also devour them like a lioness,
As a wild beast would tear them.
9
It is your destruction, O Israel,
Because you are against Me, [and have rebelled] against your help.
10
Where now is your king
That he may save you [when you are attacked] in all your cities?
And your judges of whom you asked,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11
I gave you a king in My anger,
And I took him away in My wrath [as punishment].
12
The wickedness of Ephraim [which is not yet completely punished] is bound up [as in a bag];
His sin is stored up [for judgment and destruction].
13
The pains of childbirth come on him;
But he is not a wise son,
For it is not the time to delay [his chance at a new birth] as the womb opens [but he ignores the opportunity to change].
14
Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol (the place of the dead)?
Shall I redeem them from death?
[a]O death, where are your thorns?
O Sheol, where is your sting?
Compassion is hidden from My eyes [because of their failure to repent].(A)
15
For though he flourishes among the reeds (his fellow tribes),
An east wind (Assyria) will come,
The breath of the Lord rising from the desert;
And Ephraim’s spring will become dry
And his fountain will be dried up.
Assyria will plunder his treasury of every precious object.
16
Samaria will be found guilty [and become desolate],
Because she 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.
Footnotes
- Hosea 13:14 The apostle Paul brings this passage to mind—but with a change of meaning made possible by the resurrection of Christ.
Hosea 13
King James Version
13 When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
4 Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
10 I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.
13 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.
14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
15 Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
16 Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
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