Hosea 12

Ephraim Reminded

11Ephraim feeds on 2wind, And pursues the 3east wind continually; He multiplies lies and violence. Moreover, 4he makes a covenant with Assyria, And oil is brought to Egypt.2The Lord also has a 5case against Judah, And will punish Jacob 6according to his ways; He will repay him according to his deeds.3In the womb he 7took his brother by the heel, And in his mature strength he 8contended with God.4Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and 9implored His favor. He found Him at 10Bethel, And there He spoke with us,5And the Lord, the God of armies, The Lord is His 1112name.6So as for you, 13return to your God, 14Maintain 15kindness and justice, And 16wait for your God continually.7A 17merchant, in whose hands are fraudulent 18balances, Loves to exploit.8And Ephraim said, “I have certainly become 19rich, I have found wealth for myself; In all my labors they will find in me 20No wrongdoing, which would be sin.”9But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt; I will make you 21live in tents again, As in the days of the appointed festival.10I have also spoken to the 22prophets, And I 23provided many visions, And through the prophets I spoke in 24parables.11Is there injustice in Gilead? Certainly they are worthless. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls, Yes, 25their altars are like stone heaps Beside the furrows of a field.

12Now 26Jacob fled to the 27land of Aram, And 28Israel worked for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.13But by a 29prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt, And by a prophet he was protected.1430Ephraim has provoked God to bitter anger; So his Lord will leave his 31guilt for bloodshed on him And bring his 32disgrace back to him.