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
Cross references
- Hosea 13:1 : Job 29:21, 22
- Hosea 13:1 : Judg 8:1; 12:1
- Hosea 13:1 : Hos 2:8-17; 11:2
- Hosea 13:2 : Is 46:6; Jer 10:4; Hos 2:8
- Hosea 13:2 : Is 44:17-20
- Hosea 13:2 : Hos 8:6
- Hosea 13:2 : Hos 8:5, 6; 10:5
- Hosea 13:3 : Hos 6:4
- Hosea 13:3 : Ps 1:4; Is 17:13; Dan 2:35
- Hosea 13:3 : Ps 68:2
- Hosea 13:4 : Hos 12:9
- Hosea 13:4 : Ex 20:3; 2 Kin 18:35
- Hosea 13:4 : Is 43:11; 45:21, 22
- Hosea 13:5 : Deut 2:7; 32:10
- Hosea 13:5 : Deut 8:15
- Hosea 13:6 : Deut 8:12, 14; 32:13-15; Jer 5:7
- Hosea 13:6 : Hos 7:14
- Hosea 13:6 : Hos 2:13; 4:6; 8:14
- Hosea 13:7 : Lam 3:10; Hos 5:14
- Hosea 13:7 : Jer 5:6
- Hosea 13:8 : 2 Sam 17:8
- Hosea 13:8 : Ps 50:22
- Hosea 13:9 : Jer 2:17, 19; Mal 1:12, 13
- Hosea 13:9 : Deut 33:26, 29
- Hosea 13:10 : 2 Kin 17:4; Hos 8:4
- Hosea 13:10 : 1 Sam 8:5, 6
- Hosea 13:11 : 1 Sam 8:7; 10:17-24
- Hosea 13:11 : 1 Sam 15:26; 1 Kin 14:7-10; Hos 10:7
- Hosea 13:12 : Deut 32:34, 35; Job 14:17; Rom 2:5
- Hosea 13:13 : Is 13:8; Mic 4:9, 10
- Hosea 13:13 : Deut 32:6; Hos 5:4
- Hosea 13:13 : Is 37:3; 66:9
- Hosea 13:14 : Ps 49:15; Ezek 37:12, 13
- Hosea 13:14 : 1 Cor 15:55
- Hosea 13:14 : Jer 20:16; 31:35-37
- Hosea 13:15 : Gen 49:22; Hos 10:1
- Hosea 13:15 : Gen 41:6; Jer 4:11, 12; Ezek 17:10; 19:12
- Hosea 13:15 : Jer 51:36
- Hosea 13:15 : Jer 20:5
- Hosea 13:16 : Hos 10:2
- Hosea 13:16 : Hos 7:14
- Hosea 13:16 : 2 Kin 8:12
- Hosea 13:16 : Hos 11:6
- Hosea 13:16 : Hos 10:14
- Hosea 13:16 : 2 Kin 15:16