Revised Literal Translation

Hosea 13

1When Ephraimאֶפְרַ֙יִם֙'ef.Ra.yimH669spakeכְּדַבֵּ֤רke.da.BerH1696tremblingרְתֵ֔תre.TetH7578,he exaltedנָשָׂ֥אna.Sa'H5375himself in Israelבְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לbe.Yis.ra.'ElH3478;but when he offendedוַיֶּאְשַׁ֥םvai.ye'.ShamH816in Baalבַּבַּ֖עַלba.Ba.'alH1168,he diedוַיָּמֹֽת׃vai.ya.MotH4191.

2And now they sinלַחֲטֹ֗אla.cha.To'H2398more and moreיוֹסִ֣פוּyo.Si.fuH3254,and have madeוַיַּעְשׂ֣וּvai.ya'.SuH6213them molten imagesמַסֵּכָ֨הma.se.KhahH4541of their silverמִכַּסְפָּ֤םmi.kas.PamH3701, andidolsעֲצַבִּ֔ים'a.tza.BimH6091according to their own understandingכִּתְבוּנָם֙kit.vu.NamH8394,all of it the workמַעֲשֵׂ֥הma.'a.SehH4639of the craftsmenחָרָשִׁ֖יםcha.ra.ShimH2796:they sayאֹמְרִ֔ים'o.me.RimH559of them, Let the menאָדָ֔ם'a.DamH120that sacrificeזֹבְחֵ֣יzoe.CheiH2076kissיִשָּׁקֽוּן׃yi.sha.KunH5401the calvesעֲגָלִ֖ים'a.ga.LimH5695.

3Therefore they shall be as the morningבֹּ֔קֶרBo.kerH1242cloudכַּעֲנַן־ka.'a.nan-H6051,and as the earlyמַשְׁכִּ֣יםmash.KimH7925dewוְכַטַּ֖לve.kha.TalH2919that passeth awayהֹלֵ֑ךְho.LekhH1980,as the chaffכְּמֹץ֙ke.MotzH4671thatis driven with the whirlwindיְסֹעֵ֣רye.so.'ErH5590out of the floorמִגֹּ֔רֶןmi.Go.renH1637,and as the smokeוּכְעָשָׁ֖ןu.khe.'a.ShanH6227out of the chimneyמֵאֲרֻבָּֽה׃me.'a.ru.BahH699.

4Yet I amYhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430from the landמֵאֶ֣רֶץme.'E.retzH776of Egyptמִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714,and thou shalt knowתֵדָ֔עte.Da'H3045no godוֵאלֹהִ֤יםve.lo.HimH430but meזֽוּלָתִי֙zu.la.TiH2108: for there isno saviourוּמוֹשִׁ֥יעַu.mo.Shi.a'H3467beside meבִּלְתִּֽי׃bil.TiH1115.

5I did knowיְדַעְתִּ֖יךָye.da'.Ti.khaH3045thee in the wildernessבַּמִּדְבָּ֑רba.mid.BarH4057,in the landבְּאֶ֖רֶץbe.'E.retzH776of great droughtתַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃tal.'u.VotH8514.

6According to their pastureכְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ke.mar.'i.TamH4830,so were they filledוַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּvai.yis.Ba.'uH7646;they were filledשָׂבְע֖וּsa.ve.'UH7646,and their heartלִבָּ֑םli.BamH3820was exaltedוַיָּ֣רָםvai.Ya.romH7311;therefore have they forgottenשְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃she.khe.Chu.niH7911me.

7Therefore I will be unto them as a lionשָׁ֑חַלSha.chalH7826:as a leopardכְּנָמֵ֖רke.na.MerH5246by the wayדֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekhH1870will I observeאָשֽׁוּר׃'a.ShurH7789them:

8I will meetאֶפְגְּשֵׁם֙'ef.ge.ShemH6298them as a bearכְּדֹ֣בke.DoH1677that isbereavedשַׁכּ֔וּלsha.KulH7909of her whelps,and will rendוְאֶקְרַ֖עve.'ek.Ra'H7167the caulסְג֣וֹרse.GorH5458of their heartלִבָּ֑םli.BamH3820,and there will I devourוְאֹכְלֵ֥םve.'o.khe.LemH398them like a lionכְּלָבִ֔יאke.la.Vi'H3833:the wildהַשָּׂדֶ֖הha.sa.DehH7704beastחַיַּ֥תchai.YatH2416shall tearתְּבַקְּעֵֽם׃te.va.ke.'EmH1234them.

9O Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElH3478,thou hast destroyedשִֽׁחֶתְךָ֥shi.chet.KhaH7843thyself; but in me isthine helpבְעֶזְרֶֽךָ׃ve.'ez.Re.khaH5828.

10I willאֱהִ֤י'e.HiH165be thy kingמַלְכְּךָ֙mal.ke.KhaH4428:whereאֵפ֔וֹא'e.Fo'H645is any otherthat may saveוְיוֹשִֽׁיעֲךָ֖ve.yo.shi.'a.KhaH3467thee in all thy citiesעָרֶ֑יךָ'a.Rei.khaH5892?and thy judgesוְשֹׁ֣פְטֶ֔יךָve.Sho.fe.Tei.khaH8199of whom thou saidstאָמַ֔רְתָּ'a.Mar.taH559,Giveתְּנָה־te.nah-H5414me a kingמֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekhH4428and princesוְשָׂרִֽים׃ve.sa.RimH8269?

11I gaveאֶֽתֶּן־'e.ten-H5414thee a kingמֶ֙לֶךְ֙Me.lekhH4428in mine angerבְּאַפִּ֔יbe.'a.PiH639,and tookוְאֶקַּ֖חve.'e.KachH3947himaway in my wrathבְּעֶבְרָתִֽי׃ סbe.'ev.ra.TiH5678.

12The iniquityעֲוֹ֣ן'a.VonH5771of Ephraimאֶפְרָ֔יִם'ef.Ra.yimH669isbound upצָרוּר֙tza.RurH6887;his sinחַטָּאתֽוֹ׃cha.ta.ToH2403ishidצְפוּנָ֖הtze.fu.NahH6845.

13The sorrowsחֶבְלֵ֥יchev.LeiH2256of a travailing womanיֽוֹלֵדָ֖הyo.le.DahH3205shall comeיָבֹ֣אוּya.Vo.'uH935upon him: he isan unwiseחָכָ֔םcha.KhamH2450sonבֵן֙venH1121;for he should not stayיַעֲמֹ֖דya.'a.ModH5975longעֵ֥ת'etH6256in the place ofthe breaking forthבְּמִשְׁבַּ֥רbe.mish.BarH4866of childrenבָּנִֽים׃ba.NimH1121.

14I will ransomאֶפְדֵּ֔ם'ef.DemH6299them from the powerמִיַּ֤דmi.YadH3027of the graveשְׁאוֹל֙she.'OlH7585;I will redeemאֶגְאָלֵ֑ם'eg.'a.LemH1350them from deathמִמָּ֖וֶתmi.Ma.vetH4194:O deathמָ֗וֶתMa.vetH4194,I willאֱהִ֨י'e.HiH165be thy plaguesדְבָרֶיךָ֜de.va.rei.KhaH1698;O graveשְׁא֔וֹלshe.'olH7585,I willאֱהִ֤י'e.HiH165be thy destructionקָֽטָבְךָ֙ka.ta.ve.ChaH6987:repentanceנֹ֖חַםNo.chamH5164shall be hidיִסָּתֵ֥רyi.sa.TerH5641from mine eyesמֵעֵינָֽי׃me.'ei.NaiH5869.

15Though he be fruitfulיַפְרִ֑יאyaf.Ri'H6500among hisbrethrenאַחִ֖ים'a.ChimH251,an east windקָדִים֩ka.DimH6921shall comeיָב֣וֹאya.Vo'H935,the windר֨וּחַRu.achH7307of Yhwhיְהוָ֜הYah.wehH3068shall come upעֹלֶ֗ה'o.LehH5927from the wildernessמִמִּדְבָּ֣רmi.mid.BarH4057,and his springמְקוֹרוֹ֙me.ko.RoH4726shall become dryH954,and his fountainמַעְיָנ֔וֹma'.ya.NoH4599shall be dried upוְיֶחֱרַ֣בve.ye.che.RavH2717:he shall spoilיִשְׁסֶ֔הyish.SehH8154the treasureאוֹצַ֖ר'o.TzarH214of all pleasantחֶמְדָּֽה׃chem.DahH2532vesselsכְּלִ֥יke.LiH3627.

16Samariaשֹֽׁמְר֔וֹןsho.me.RonH8111shall become desolateתֶּאְשַׁם֙te'.ShamH816;for she hath rebelledמָרְתָ֖הma.re.TahH4784against her Godבֵּֽאלֹהֶ֑יהָbe.lo.Hei.haH430:they shall fallיִפֹּ֔לוּyi.Po.luH5307by the swordבַּחֶ֣רֶבba.Che.revH2719:their infantsעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם'o.le.lei.HemH5768shall be dashed in piecesיְרֻטָּ֔שׁוּye.ru.Ta.shuH7376,and their women with childוְהָרִיּוֹתָ֖יוve.ha.ri.yo.TavH2030shall be ripped upיְבֻקָּֽעוּ׃ פye.vu.Ka.'uH1234.

Commentaries on Hosea 13