The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

13 When Ephraim spoke, people trembled;(A)
    he was exalted(B) in Israel.
    But he became guilty of Baal worship(C) and died.
Now they sin more and more;
    they make(D) idols for themselves from their silver,(E)
cleverly fashioned images,
    all of them the work of craftsmen.(F)
It is said of these people,
    “They offer human sacrifices!
    They kiss[a](G) calf-idols!(H)
Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears,(I)
    like chaff(J) swirling from a threshing floor,(K)
    like smoke(L) escaping through a window.

“But I have been the Lord your God
    ever since you came out of Egypt.(M)
You shall acknowledge(N) no God but me,(O)
    no Savior(P) except me.
I cared for you in the wilderness,(Q)
    in the land of burning heat.
When I fed them, they were satisfied;
    when they were satisfied, they became proud;(R)
    then they forgot(S) me.(T)
So I will be like a lion(U) to them,
    like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
Like a bear robbed of her cubs,(V)
    I will attack them and rip them open;
like a lion(W) I will devour them—
    a wild animal will tear them apart.(X)

“You are destroyed, Israel,
    because you are against me,(Y) against your helper.(Z)
10 Where is your king,(AA) that he may save you?
    Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
    ‘Give me a king and princes’?(AB)
11 So in my anger I gave you a king,(AC)
    and in my wrath I took him away.(AD)
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up,
    his sins are kept on record.(AE)
13 Pains as of a woman in childbirth(AF) come to him,
    but he is a child without wisdom;
when the time(AG) arrives,
    he doesn’t have the sense to come out of the womb.(AH)

14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;(AI)
    I will redeem them from death.(AJ)
Where, O death, are your plagues?
    Where, O grave, is your destruction?(AK)

“I will have no compassion,
15     even though he thrives(AL) among his brothers.
An east wind(AM) from the Lord will come,
    blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
    and his well dry up.(AN)
His storehouse will be plundered(AO)
    of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria(AP) must bear their guilt,(AQ)
    because they have rebelled(AR) against their God.
They will fall by the sword;(AS)
    their little ones will be dashed(AT) to the ground,
    their pregnant women(AU) ripped open.”[b]

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or “Men who sacrifice / kiss
  2. Hosea 13:16 In Hebrew texts this verse (13:16) is numbered 14:1.

13 When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.

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.

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.

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.

I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

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

Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:

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.

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.

Relentless Judgment on Israel

13 When Ephraim spoke, trembling,
He exalted himself in Israel;
But when he offended through Baal worship, he died.
Now they sin more and more,
And have made for themselves molded images,
Idols of their silver, according to their skill;
All of it is the work of craftsmen.
They say of them,
“Let [a]the men who sacrifice [b]kiss the calves!”
Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud
And like the early dew that passes away,
(A)Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor
And like smoke from a chimney.

“Yet (B)I am the Lord your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For (C)there is no savior besides Me.
(D)I [c]knew you in the wilderness,
(E)In the land of [d]great drought.
(F)When they had pasture, they were filled;
They were filled and their heart was exalted;
Therefore they forgot Me.

“So (G)I will be to them like a lion;
Like (H)a leopard by the road I will lurk;
I will meet them (I)like a bear deprived of her cubs;
I will tear open their rib cage,
And there I will devour them like a lion.
The [e]wild beast shall tear them.

“O Israel, [f]you are destroyed,
But [g]your help is from Me.
10 [h]I will be your King;
(J)Where is any other,
That he may save you in all your cities?
And your judges to whom (K)you said,
‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 (L)I gave you a king in My anger,
And took him away in My wrath.

12 “The(M) iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
His sin is stored up.
13 (N)The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him.
He is an unwise son,
For he should not stay long where children are born.

14 “I will ransom them from the [i]power of [j]the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
(O)O Death, [k]I will be your plagues!
O [l]Grave, [m]I will be your destruction!
(P)Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

15 Though he is fruitful among his brethren,
(Q)An east wind shall come;
The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness.
Then his spring shall become dry,
And his fountain shall be dried up.
He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
16 Samaria [n]is held guilty,
For she has (R)rebelled against her God.
They shall fall by the sword,
Their infants shall be dashed in pieces,
And their women with child (S)ripped open.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:2 Or those who offer human sacrifice
  2. Hosea 13:2 Worship with kisses
  3. Hosea 13:5 Cared for you
  4. Hosea 13:5 Lit. droughts
  5. Hosea 13:8 Lit. beast of the field
  6. Hosea 13:9 Lit. it or he destroyed you
  7. Hosea 13:9 Lit. in your help
  8. Hosea 13:10 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Where is your king?
  9. Hosea 13:14 Lit. hand
  10. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  11. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your punishment?
  12. Hosea 13:14 Or Sheol
  13. Hosea 13:14 LXX where is your sting?
  14. Hosea 13:16 LXX shall be disfigured

The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel

13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
    (A)he was exalted in Israel,
    but he incurred guilt (B)through Baal and died.
And now they sin more and more,
    and (C)make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
    (D)all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them,
    “Those who offer human sacrifice (E)kiss calves!”
Therefore they shall be (F)like the morning mist
    or (G)like the dew that goes early away,
(H)like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
    or (I)like smoke from a window.

But (J)I am the Lord your God
    from the land of Egypt;
(K)you know no God but me,
    and (L)besides me there is no savior.
(M)It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
    in the land of drought;
(N)but when they had grazed,[a] they became full,
    (O)they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
    (P)therefore they forgot me.
So (Q)I am to them like a lion;
    (R)like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
I will fall upon them (S)like a bear robbed of her cubs;
    I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
    (T)as a wild beast would rip them open.

He destroys[b] you, O Israel,
    for you are against me, against (U)your helper.
10 (V)Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
    Where are all your rulers—
those of whom (W)you said,
    “Give me a king and princes”?
11 (X)I gave you a king in my anger,
    and (Y)I took him away in my wrath.

12 The iniquity of Ephraim is (Z)bound up;
    his sin is (AA)kept in store.
13 (AB)The pangs of childbirth come for him,
    but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
    (AC)at the opening of the womb.

14 (AD)I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;
    (AE)I shall redeem them from Death.[c]
(AF)O (AG)Death, where are your plagues?
    (AH)O (AI)Sheol, where is your sting?
    (AJ)Compassion is hidden from my eyes.

15 Though (AK)he may flourish among his brothers,
    (AL)the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come,
    rising from the wilderness,
(AM)and his fountain shall dry up;
    his spring shall be parched;
it shall strip (AN)his treasury
    of every precious thing.
16 [d] Samaria (AO)shall bear her guilt,
    because (AP)she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword;
    (AQ)their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
    and their (AR)pregnant women ripped open.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 13:6 Hebrew according to their pasture
  2. Hosea 13:9 Or I will destroy
  3. Hosea 13:14 Or Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death?
  4. Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Hebrew