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Hosea 12
Tree of Life Version
Hosea 12
Tree of Life Version
Ephraim Multiplies Lies
12 “Ephraim surrounded Me with lies[a]
and the house of Israel with deceit.”
Though Judah roams restlessly with God,
yet he is faithful with holy things.[b]
2 Ephraim is grazing on wind
and pursuing the east wind.
All day he multiplies lies and ruin:
making[c] a pact with Assyria,
while carrying oil to Egypt.
3 Adonai also has a dispute with Judah:
He will punish Jacob for his ways,
repaying him for his deeds.
4 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel,
and in his vigor he strove with God.
5 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won;
he wept and sought his favor.
At Bethel he will find us,
and there He will speak with us.
6 Even Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot—
Adonai is His memorial-Name.
7 So you should return to your God,
keep covenant loyalty and justice,
and wait for your God continually.
8 A merchant loves to extort,
with deceptive balances in his hand.
9 Now Ephraim has said:
“How rich I have become! I found wealth by myself.
I won’t be guilty of any sin with any of my property.”
10 “Yet I have been Adonai your God,
since the land of Egypt.
I will yet again make you dwell in tents,
as in the days of the moed.
11 I also spoke through the prophets
and I multiplied visions.
Now through the prophets
I will make parables.
12 Since Gilead is full of iniquity,
they are utterly worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls—
even their altars will become heaps of rocks
along the furrows of My field.”
13 Now Jacob fled to the field of Aram,
when Israel served for a wife—
yes, he kept watch for a wife.
14 So by a prophet Adonai brought Israel up out of Egypt,
and by a prophet he was kept.
15 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger,
so his bloodguilt will remain on him—
his Lord will repay him for his contempt.
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:1 Traditional Christian text numbers as 11:12 to 12:14.
- Hosea 12:1 Or, to the Holy One.
- Hosea 12:2 Lit. they are making.
Hosea 12
New International Version
Hosea 12
New International Version
12 [a]1 Ephraim(A) feeds on the wind;(B)
he pursues the east wind all day
and multiplies lies and violence.(C)
He makes a treaty with Assyria(D)
and sends olive oil to Egypt.(E)
2 The Lord has a charge(F) to bring against Judah;(G)
he will punish(H) Jacob[b] according to his ways
and repay him according to his deeds.(I)
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;(J)
as a man he struggled(K) with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel(L)
and talked with him there—
5 the Lord God Almighty,
the Lord is his name!(M)
6 But you must return(N) to your God;
maintain love and justice,(O)
and wait for your God always.(P)
7 The merchant uses dishonest scales(Q)
and loves to defraud.
8 Ephraim boasts,(R)
“I am very rich; I have become wealthy.(S)
With all my wealth they will not find in me
any iniquity or sin.”
9 “I have been the Lord your God
ever since you came out of Egypt;(T)
I will make you live in tents(U) again,
as in the days of your appointed festivals.
10 I spoke to the prophets,
gave them many visions
and told parables(V) through them.”(W)
11 Is Gilead wicked?(X)
Its people are worthless!
Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?(Y)
Their altars will be like piles of stones
on a plowed field.(Z)
12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram[c];(AA)
Israel served to get a wife,
and to pay for her he tended sheep.(AB)
13 The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,(AC)
by a prophet he cared for him.(AD)
14 But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;
his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed(AE)
and will repay him for his contempt.(AF)
Footnotes
- Hosea 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-14 is numbered 12:2-15.
- Hosea 12:2 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.
- Hosea 12:12 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.