Hosea 12

Common English Bible

God’s charge against Judah

12 ^[a] Ephraim herds the wind,
        and pursues the east wind all day long;
    they multiply lies and violence;
        they make a treaty with Assyria,
        and oil is carried to Egypt.
²The Lord has a charge against Judah,
        and will punish Jacob according to his ways,
        and respond to him according to his deeds.
³From the womb he tried to be the oldest of twin brothers;
        as an adult he struggled with God.
⁴He struggled with the messenger and survived;
        he wept and sought his favor;
    he met him at Bethel,
        and there he spoke with him.
⁵The Lord God of heavenly forces,
        the Lord is his name!
⁶But you! Return to your God
        with faithful love and justice,
        and wait continually for your God.

⁷He is a merchant; the means to cheat are in his hands;
        he loves to take advantage of others.
⁸Ephraim has said,
        “I’m rich,
        I’ve gained wealth for myself;
        in all of my gain
        no offense has been found in me
            that would be sin.”
⁹I am the Lord your God
        from the land of Egypt;
    I will make you live in tents again,
        as in former days.
¹⁰I spoke to the prophets;
        and I multiplied visions,
        and through them I uttered parables.
¹¹In Gilead there is wickedness;
        they will surely come to nothing.
    In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
        so their altars will be like piles of stones
        on the rows of the field.
¹²Jacob fled to the land of Aram;
        there Israel served for a wife,
        and for a wife he kept watch over livestock.
¹³By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
        and by a prophet he was guarded.
¹⁴Ephraim has given bitter offense;
        so the Lord will bring his crimes down on him
        and pay him back for his wrongdoing.