Hosea 13

¹Once when Ephraim spake, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel; But he offended through Baal, and died.

²And now they sin more and more, And have made to themselves molten images; Of their silver by their skill have they made idols; All of it is the work of artificers. They say concerning them, Whoever will sacrifice, let him kiss the calves!

³Therefore shall they be as the morning cloud, And as the early dew, which passeth away; As chaff driven with a whirlwind from the thrashing-floor, And as smoke from the chimney.

⁴Yet I, Jehovah, have been thy God from the land of Egypt, And thou hast known no God but me; Yea, there was no saviour besides me.

⁵I cared for thee in the desert, In the land of great drought.

⁶As they were fed, so they were filled; They were filled, and their heart was lifted up; Therefore they forgot me.

⁷Therefore have I become to them as a lion; As a leopard I watch for them in the way;

⁸I will meet them as a bear bereaved of her whelps, And I will rend the caul of their heart, And there will I devour them as a lioness; The wild beast shall tear them.

⁹It hath been thy destruction, O Israel, That against me, against thy help, thou hast rebelled!

¹⁰Where is now thy king? Let him save thee in all thy cities! And where thy judges, In regard to whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes!

¹¹I gave thee a king in mine anger, And I have taken him away in my wrath;

¹²the iniquity of Ephraim is treasured up; His guilt is laid up in store.

¹³The pangs of a travailing woman shall come upon him; He is an unwise son, For else would he not tarry long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

¹⁴I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death; O death, where is thy plague? O grave, where is thy destruction? Repentance is hidden from mine eyes.

¹⁵Though he be fruitful among his brethren, An east wind shall come, A wind of Jehovah shall come up from the desert, And his spring shall become dry, And his fountain shall be dried up, And the treasure of all his pleasant vessels shall be spoiled.

¹⁶Samaria shall suffer for her guilt, For she hath rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword; Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child shall be ripped up.

Hosea 13

¹When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.

²And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

³Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

⁴Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.

⁵I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

⁶According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

⁷Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:

⁸I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.

⁹O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

¹⁰I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

¹¹I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

¹²The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.

¹³The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

¹⁴I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

¹⁵Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.

¹⁶Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.