Hosea 13

Modern

Literal

God’s Anger against Israel

¹When Ephraim^a spoke, there was trembling;

he was exalted in Israel.

But he incurred guilt through Baal,

and he died.

¹When Ephraim spoke there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel, and he became guilty by the Baal, and he died.

²Now they sin more and more

and make for themselves cast images,

idols skillfully made from their silver,

all of them the work of craftsmen.

People say of them,

“They offer human sacrifice

and kiss the calves!”^a

²And now they add to sin, and have made for themselves molten images idols from their silver according to their skill, the work of craftsmen, all of them. They say of them, “Those who sacrifice man, they will kiss the calves.”

³Therefore they will be like the morning mist,

like the early dew that vanishes,

like chaff blown from a threshing floor,

like smoke through an open window.

³Therefore they will be like the cloud of morning, and like the dew rising early that passes away, like chaff that swirls from the threshing floor, and like smoke from a window.

⁴Yet I am the LORD your God

ever since the land of Egypt;

you know no God but Me,

for there is no Savior besides Me.

⁴For I am YHWH your God, from the land of Egypt; and you know no gods besides Me, and no one is able to save besides Me!

⁵I knew you in the wilderness,

in the land of drought.

⁵I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

⁶When they had pasture,

they became satisfied;

when they were satisfied,

their hearts became proud,

and as a result they forgot Me.

⁶At their grazing, they became satisfied; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; upon thus they forgot Me!

⁷So like a lion I will pounce on them;

like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

⁷And I will become to them like a lion; like a leopard alongside the pathway I will watch.

⁸Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them,

and I will tear open their chests.

There I will devour them like a lion,

like a wild beast tearing them apart.

⁸I will encounter them like a bear bereaved, and I will tear open the enclosure of their heart; there I will devour them like a lion; a beast of the field will tear them apart.

Death and Resurrection

⁹You are destroyed, O Israel,

because you are against Me—

against your helper.

⁹He has destroyed you, O Israel, for you are against Me, against your helper!

¹⁰Where is your king now^a

to save you in all your cities,

and the rulers to whom you said,

“Give me a king and princes”?

¹⁰Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your rulers of whom you said, “Give to me a king and princes”?

¹¹So in My anger I gave you a king,

and in My wrath I took him away.

¹¹I gave to you a king in My anger, and I took him away in My wrath.

¹²The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;

his sin is stored up.

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

¹³Labor pains come upon him,

but he is an unwise son.

When the time arrives,

he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.

¹³The pains of childbirth will come to him; he is not a wise a son, for he would not stand at the time for the breaking forth of sons.

¹⁴I will ransom them from the power of Sheol;

I will redeem them from Death.^a

Where, O Death, are your plagues?

Where, O Sheol, is your sting?^b

Compassion is hidden from My eyes.

¹⁴I will ransom them from the hand of Sheol; will I redeem them from death. Where are your plagues, O Death? Where is is your destruction, O Grave? Compassion is hidden from My eyes!

Judgment on Samaria

¹⁵Although he flourishes among his brothers,

an east wind will come—

a wind from the LORD

rising up from the desert.

His fountain will fail,

and his spring will run dry.

The wind will plunder his treasury

of every precious article.

¹⁵Though he is fruitful among his brothers an east wind will come, the wind of YHWH! From the desert it is coming up, and his fountain will become dry, and his spring will dry out; it will plunder the treasure of every article of desire.

¹⁶Samaria will bear her guilt

because she has rebelled against her God.

They will fall by the sword;

their little ones will be dashed to pieces,

and their pregnant women ripped open.

¹⁶Samaria is guilty, for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their infants will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.