Hosea

CHAPTER 12

Infidelity of Israel^*

1Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,

the house of Israel, with deceit;

Judah still wanders about with gods,

and is faithful to holy ones.^*

2^* Ephraim shepherds the wind,

and pursues the east wind all day long.

He multiplies lies and violence:

They make a covenant with Assyria,

and oil is carried to Egypt.

3The LORD has a dispute with Judah,

and will punish Jacob^* for his conduct,

and repay him for his deeds.

4In the womb he supplanted his brother,^a

and in his vigor he contended with a divine being;

5He contended with an angel and prevailed,^b

he wept and entreated him.

At Bethel he met with him,

and there he spoke with him.^c

6The LORD is the God of hosts,

the LORD is his name!^d

7You must return to your God.

Maintain loyalty and justice

and always hope in your God.

8A merchant who holds a false balance,

he loves to extort!

9Ephraim has said,

“How rich I have become;

I have made a fortune!”^e

All his gain will not suffice

for the guilt of his sin.

10I the LORD have been your God,

since the land of Egypt;^f

I will again have you live in tents,

as on feast days.

11I spoke to the prophets,

I granted many visions,^g

and through the prophets I told parables.

12In Gilead is falsehood, they have come to nothing;

in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,

But their altars are like heaps of stones^h

in the furrows of the field.

13Jacob fled to the land of Aram,

and Israel served for a wife;

for a wife he tended sheep.ⁱ

14But by a prophet^* the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt,

and by a prophet Israel was tended.^j

15Ephraim has aroused bitter anger,

so his Lord shall cast his bloodguilt upon him

and repay him for his scorn.

* [12:1–15] This chapter draws a parallel between the history of Israel and events in the life of Jacob-Israel, the ancestor.

* [12:1] An attack on the idolatry of both kingdoms, Israel and Judah. Holy ones: subordinate gods, members of the divine council.

* [12:2] Hosea frequently condemns the alliances with Assyria and Egypt, the two world powers (7:8–16).

* [12:3] Jacob: whose name was changed to Israel (Gn 35:10).

* [12:14] A prophet: Moses.

a. [12:4] Gn 25:26; 27:35–36.

b. [12:5] Gn 32:25–30.

c. [12:5] Gn 28:12–19; 35:15.

d. [12:6] Ex 3:15; Am 4:13.

e. [12:9] Rev 3:17.

f. [12:10] Ex 20:2.

g. [12:11] Ps 74:9.

h. [12:12] Gn 31:45–54; Jos 4–5.

i. [12:13] Gn 28:5; 29:15–30; 30:31.

j. [12:14] Ex 3:7–10; Dt 18:18.