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12 All day long Israel chases
    wind from the desert;
deceit and violence
    are found everywhere.
Treaties are made with Assyria;
    olive oil is taken to Egypt.

Israel and Judah Condemned

The Lord also brings charges
against the people of Judah,
    the descendants of Jacob.
He will punish them
    for what they have done.
(A)(B) Even before Jacob was born,
    he cheated his brother,[a]
and when he grew up,
    he fought against God.[b]

(C) At Bethel, Jacob wrestled
    with an angel and won;
then with tears in his eyes,
he asked for a blessing,
    and God spoke to us[c] there.
God's name is the Lord,
    the Lord God All-Powerful.
So return to your God.
Patiently trust him,
    and show love and justice.

Israel, you enjoy cheating
and taking advantage
    of others.
You say to yourself, “I'm rich!
I earned it all on my own,
    without committing a sin.”[d]

The Lord Is Still the God of Israel

(D) Israel, I, the Lord,
am still your God,
    just as I have been
since the time
    you were in Egypt.
Now I will force you
to live in tents once again,
    as you did in the desert.[e]
10 I spoke to the prophets—
    often I spoke in visions.
And so, I will send my prophets
    with messages of doom.
11 Gilead is terribly sinful
    and will end up ruined.
Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal
    on altars made of stones,
but those stones will be scattered
    in every field.
12 (E) Jacob[f] escaped to Syria[g]
where he tended sheep
    to earn himself a wife.
13 (F) I sent the prophet Moses
to lead Israel from Egypt
    and to keep them safe.
14 Israel, I will make you pay
for your violent crimes
    and for insulting me.

Israel Is Doomed

The Lord said:

13 When your leaders[h] spoke,
everyone in Israel trembled
    and showed great respect.
But you sinned by worshiping Baal,
    and you were destroyed.
Now you continue to sin
    by designing and making
idols of silver
    in the shape of calves.
You are told to sacrifice
to these idols[i]
    yes, even to kiss them.
And so, all of you will vanish
like the mist or the dew
    of early morning,
or husks of grain in the wind
    or smoke from a chimney.

I, the Lord, have been your God
since the time
    you were in Egypt.
I am the only God you know,
    the only one who can save.
(G) I took care of you
    in a thirsty desert.[j]
I fed you till you were satisfied,
then you became proud
    and forgot about me.
Now I will attack like a lion,
    ambush you like a leopard,
and rip you apart like a bear
    robbed of her cubs.
I will gnaw on your bones,
as though I were a lion
    or some other wild animal.
Israel, you are done for.
    Don't expect help from me.[k]
10 (H) You wanted a king and rulers.
Where is your king now?
    What cities have rulers?
11 (I) In my anger, I gave you a king;
    in my fury, I took him away.

Israel's Terrible Fate

The Lord said:

12 Israel, your terrible sins
are written down
    and stored away.
13 You are like a senseless child
who refuses to be born
    at the proper time.
14 (J) Should I, the Lord, rescue you
    from death and the grave?
No! I call death and the grave
to strike you like a plague.
    I refuse to show mercy.

15 No matter if you prosper
    more than the other tribes,[l]
I, the Lord, will wipe you out,
just as a scorching desert wind
    dries up streams of water.
I will take away
    your precious treasures.
16 Samaria[m] will be punished
    for turning against me.
It will be destroyed in war—
children will be beaten
    against rocks,
and pregnant women
    will be ripped open.

Turn Back to the Lord

14 Israel, return! Come back
to the Lord, your God.
    Sin has made you fall.
Return to the Lord and say,
    “Please forgive our sins.
Accept our good sacrifices
    of praise instead of bulls.[n]
Assyria can't save us,
    and chariots can't help.
So we will no longer worship
    the idols we have made.
Our Lord, you show mercy
    to orphans.”

The Lord Promises To Forgive

Israel, you have rejected me,
    but my anger is gone;
I will heal you and love you
    without limit.
I will be like the dew—
then you will blossom like lilies
    and have roots like a tree.[o]
Your branches will spread
with the beauty
    of an olive tree
and with the aroma
    of Lebanon Forest.
You will rest in my shade,
    and your grain will grow.
You will blossom
    like a vineyard
and be famous as the wine
    from Lebanon.

Israel, give up your idols!
I will answer your prayers
    and take care of you.[p]
I am that glorious tree,
    the source of your fruit.[q]

If you are wise, you will know
    and understand what I mean.
I am the Lord, and I lead you
    along the right path.
If you obey me,
    we will walk together,
but if you are wicked,
    you will stumble.

Footnotes

  1. 12.3 Jacob … cheated … brother: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “cheat” and also like “heel.” Jacob grabbed his twin brother Esau by the heel at the time of their birth (see Genesis 25.26). Later he cheated him out of his rights and blessings as the first-born son (see Genesis 25.29-34; 27.1-40).
  2. 12.3 fought against God: See Genesis 32.22-32.
  3. 12.4 us: Hebrew; two ancient translations “him.”
  4. 12.8 without … sin: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. 12.9 as … desert: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. This probably refers to the 40 years of wandering through the desert after leaving Egypt, though it could refer to the “tents” (or “shelters”) in which the Israelites lived during the Festival of Shelters (see 9.5,6).
  6. 12.12 Jacob: His name was later changed to Israel (see Genesis 32.28), and he became the ancestor of the nation by that name.
  7. 12.12 Syria: The Hebrew text has “Aram,” probably referring to northern Syria in the region of Haran.
  8. 13.1 your leaders: The Hebrew text has “Ephraim,” here meaning Mount Ephraim, where the royal palace of Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel) was located.
  9. 13.2 You are told … idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  10. 13.5 thirsty desert: The 40 years that Israel wandered through the desert, after leaving Egypt.
  11. 13.9 Don't … me: Or “You are against me, the one who helps you.”
  12. 13.15 more … tribes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  13. 13.16 Samaria: The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.
  14. 14.2 Accept … bulls: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  15. 14.5 like a tree: The Hebrew text has “like Lebanon,” probably referring to the famous cedar trees on Mount Lebanon.
  16. 14.8 Israel … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  17. 14.8 I am … fruit: This is the only place in the Old Testament where the Lord is compared to a tree. Hosea reminds the people that it is the Lord who is the source of life, rather than the Canaanite gods and goddesses that are worshiped under trees at the local shrines.

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