Hosea 12 - The Message (MSG)

12 1-5 Ephraim, obsessed with god-fantasies,
chases ghosts and phantoms.
He tells lies nonstop,
soul-destroying lies.
Both Ephraim and Judah made deals with Assyria
and tried to get an inside track with Egypt.
God is bringing charges against Israel.
Jacob’s children are hauled into court to be punished.
In the womb, that heel, Jacob, got the best of his brother.
When he grew up, he tried to get the best of God.
But God would not be bested.
God bested him.
Brought to his knees,
Jacob wept and prayed.
God found him at Bethel.
That’s where he spoke with him.
God is God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
God-Revealed, God-Known.

* * *

6 What are you waiting for? Return to your God!
Commit yourself in love, in justice!
Wait for your God,
and don’t give up on him—ever!

7-8 The businessmen engage in wholesale fraud.
They love to rip people off!
Ephraim boasted, “Look, I’m rich!
I’ve made it big!
And look how well I’ve covered my tracks:
not a hint of fraud, not a sign of sin!”

9-11 “But not so fast! I’m God, your God!
Your God from the days in Egypt!
I’m going to put you back to living in tents,
as in the old days when you worshiped in the wilderness.
I speak through the prophets
to give clear pictures of the way things are.
Using prophets, I tell revealing stories.
I show Gilead rampant with religious scandal
and Gilgal teeming with empty-headed religion.
I expose their worship centers as
stinking piles of garbage in their gardens.”

12-14 Are you going to repeat the life of your ancestor Jacob?
He ran off guilty to Aram,
Then sold his soul to get ahead,
and made it big through treachery and deceit.
Your real identity is formed through God-sent prophets,
who led you out of Egypt and served as faithful pastors.
As it is, Ephraim has continually
and inexcusably insulted God.
Now he has to pay for his life-destroying ways.
His Master will do to him what he has done.

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Hosea 12 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

12 Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day lying and spoiling he multiplieth, And a covenant with Asshur they make, And oil to Egypt is carried. 2 And a controversy hath Jehovah with Judah, To lay a charge on Jacob according to his ways, According to his doings He returne...
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Hosea 12 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

12 Ephraim feedeth (on the) wind, and followeth heat. All day he multiplieth leasing, and destroying; and he made bond of peace with Assyrians, and bare oil into Egypt. (Ephraim feedeth on the wind, and followeth after the east wind. All day they multiplieth lies, and destruction; and they made a co...
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Hosea 12 - World English Bible (WEB)

12 Ephraim feeds on wind, and chases the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and desolation. They make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.2 Yahweh also has a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds he will repay him.3 In t...
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Hosea 12 - The Voice (VOICE)

12 Eternal One: Ephraim feeds on the wind. He chases the hot east wind all day long. He’s becoming more and more deceitful and violent. They’ve abandoned their covenant to make an alliance with Assyria, trading oil for favor from Egypt. As Israel pursues what she cannot obtain, she becomes entangled...
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Hosea 12 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Ephraim Multiplies Lies12 “Ephraim surrounded Me with lies[a]and the house of Israel with deceit.”Though Judah roams restlessly with God,yet he is faithful with holy things.[b]2 Ephraim is grazing on windand pursuing the east wind.All day he multiplies lies and ruin: making[c] a pact with Assyria, w...
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Hosea 12 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

12 E′phraim herds the wind,and pursues the east wind all day long;they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a bargain with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. The Long History of Rebellion2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways, and requite him...
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Hosea 12 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

12 E′phraim herds the wind,and pursues the east wind all day long;they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a bargain with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. The Long History of Rebellion2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways, and requite him...
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Hosea 12 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

12 Ephraim herds the wind, and pursues the east wind all day long;they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a treaty with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. The Long History of Rebellion2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways, and repay him ac...
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Hosea 12 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

12 Ephraim herds the wind, and pursues the east wind all day long;they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a treaty with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. The Long History of Rebellion2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways, and repay him ac...
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Hosea 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

12 Ephraim herds the wind and pursues the east wind all day long;they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a treaty with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt.(A)The Long History of Rebellion2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah and will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him acc...
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Hosea 12 - New Living Translation (NLT)

12 [a]The people of Israel[b] feed on the wind; they chase after the east wind all day long.They pile up lies and violence; they are making an alliance with Assyria while sending olive oil to buy support from Egypt. 2 Now the Lord is bringing charges against Judah. He is about to punish Jacob[c] for...
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Hosea 12 - New Life Version (NLV)

12 Ephraim’s food is the wind, he goes after the east wind all day long. He tells many lies and does much in his anger. He makes an agreement with Assyria and takes oil to Egypt. 2 The Lord has a cause against Judah, and will punish Jacob for his ways. He will make him pay for what he has done. 3 ...
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Hosea 12 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Ephraim’s Sins Rebuked by God12 “Ephraim (A)feeds on the wind,And pursues the east wind;He daily increases lies and [a]desolation.(B)Also they make a [b]covenant with the Assyrians,And (C)oil is carried to Egypt. 2 “The(D) Lord also brings a [c]charge against Judah,And will punish Jacob according to...
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Hosea 12 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

12 [a]Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence.He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.2 The Lord has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob[b] according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.3 In the w...
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Hosea 12 - New International Version (NIV)

12 [a]1 Ephraim(A) feeds on the wind;(B) he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence.(C)He makes a treaty with Assyria(D) and sends olive oil to Egypt.(E)2 The Lord has a charge(F) to bring against Judah;(G) he will punish(H) Jacob[b] according to his ways and repay him accordi...
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Hosea 12 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

12 The people of Ephraim look to others for help. It’s like chasing the wind.The wind they keep chasing is hot and dry.They tell more and more lies. They are always hurting others.They make a peace treaty with Assyria. They send olive oil to Egypt to get help.2 The Lord is bringing charges against J...
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Hosea 12 - New English Translation (NET)

12 Ephraim continually feeds on the wind;he chases the east wind all day;he multiplies lies and violence.They make treaties[a] with Assyria,and send olive oil as tribute[b] to Egypt.2 The Lord also has a covenant lawsuit[c] against Judah;he will punish Jacob according to his waysand repay him accord...
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