Hosea 12

New King James Version

Ephraim’s Sins Rebuked by God

12 “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 his ways;
According to his deeds He will recompense him.
³He took his brother ^(E)by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he ^(F)struggled with God.
⁴Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in ^(G)Bethel,
And there He spoke to us—
⁵That is, the Lord God of hosts.
The Lord is His ^(H)memorable name.
⁶^(I)So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually.

⁷“A cunning ^[d]Canaanite!
^(J)Deceitful scales are in his hand;
He loves to oppress.
⁸And Ephraim said,
^(K)‘Surely I have become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors
They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’

⁹“But I am the Lord your God,
Ever since the land of Egypt;
^(L)I will again make you dwell in tents,
As in the days of the appointed feast.
¹⁰^(M)I have also spoken by the prophets,
And have multiplied visions;
I have given ^[e]symbols ^[f]through the witness of the prophets.”

¹¹Though ^(N)Gilead has idols—
Surely they are ^[g]vanity—
Though they sacrifice bulls in ^(O)Gilgal,
Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.

¹²Jacob ^(P)fled to the country of Syria;
^(Q)Israel served for a spouse,
And for a wife he tended sheep.
¹³^(R)By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
And by a prophet he was preserved.
¹⁴Ephraim ^(S)provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
^(T)And return his reproach upon him.