Hosea 13

¹For Effraym spak, hidousnesse assailide Israel; and he trespasside in Baal, and was deed.

²And now thei addiden to do synne, and maden to hem a yotun ymage of her siluer, as the licnesse of idols; al is the makyng of crafti men. To these thei seien, A! ye men, offre, and worschipe caluys.

³Therfor thei schulen be as a morewtid cloude, and as the deew of morewtid, that passith forth, as dust rauyschide bi whirlewynd fro the corn floor, and as smoke of a chymenei.

⁴Forsothe Y am thi Lord God, `that ledde thee fro the loond of Egipt; and thou schalt not knowe God, outakun me, and no sauyour is, outakun me.

⁵Y knewe thee in the desert, in the lond of wildirnesse.

⁶Bi her lesewis thei weren fillid, and hadden abundaunce; thei reisiden her herte, and foryaten me.

⁷And Y schal be as a lionesse to hem, as a parde in the weye of Assiriens.

⁸Y as a femal bere, whanne the whelps ben rauyschid, schal mete hem; and schal al to-breke the ynnere thingis of the mawe of hem. And Y as a lioun schal waaste hem there; a beeste of the feeld schal al to-rende hem.

⁹Israel, thi perdicioun is of thee; thin help is oneli of me.

¹⁰Where is thi kyng? moost saue he thee now in alle thi citees; and where ben thi iugis, of whiche thou seidist, Yyue thou to me a kyng, and princes?

¹¹Y schal yyue to thee a kyng in my strong veniaunce, and Y schal take awei in myn indignacioun.

¹²The wickidnesse of Effraym is boundun togidere; his synne is hid.

¹³The sorewis of a womman trauelynge of child schulen come to hym; he is a sone not wijs. For now he schal not stonde in the defoulyng of sones.

¹⁴Y schal delyuere hem fro the hoond of deeth, and Y schal ayenbie hem fro deth. Thou deth, Y schal be thi deth; thou helle, Y schal be thi mussel.

¹⁵Coumfort is hid fro myn iyen, for he schal departe bitwixe britheren. The Lord schal brynge a brennynge wynd, stiynge fro desert; and it schal make drie the veynes therof, and it schal make desolat the welle therof; and he schal rauysche the tresour of ech desirable vessel.

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.