Hos 13 | HCSB | STEP | When Ephraim spoke , there was trembling ; he was exalted in Israel . But he incurred guilt through Baal and died .

‏ Hosea 13

1 When Ephraim spoke, ^a there was trembling;

he was exalted in Israel. ^b
But he incurred ^{▼▼guilt/guilty: The liability to be punished for a fault, a sin, an act, or an omission unless there is forgiveness or atonement; the term normally concerns an objective fact, not a subjective feeling.}guilt through ^{▼▼Baal: A fertility god who was the main god of the Canaanite religion and the god of rain and thunderstorms; also the Hebrew word meaning "lord," "master," "owner," or "husband"}Baal ^e and died.

2 Now they continue to sin
and make themselves a cast image, ^f
idols skillfully made from their silver, ^g
all of them the work of craftsmen. ^h
People say about them,
“Let the men who sacrifice ^{▼▼Or Those who make human sacrifices} kiss the calves.” ^j
3 Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, ^k
like the early dew that vanishes,
like chaff blown from a threshing floor, ^l
or like smoke from a window. ^m

Death and Resurrection

4 I have been ^{▼▼Yahweh/Yah: Or The Lord; the personal name of God in Hebrew; "Yah" is the shortened form of the name.}Yahweh your God ^o
ever since ^{▼▼DSS, LXX read God who brought you out of} the land of Egypt;
you know no God but Me, ^q
and no Savior exists besides Me. ^r
5 I knew ^{▼▼LXX, Syr read fed} you in the wilderness, ^t
in the land of drought.
6 When they had pasture,
they became satisfied; ^u
they were satisfied,
and their hearts became proud. ^v
Therefore they forgot Me. ^w
7 So I will be like a lion ^x to them;
I will lurk like a leopard ^y on the path.
8 I will attack them
like a bear robbed of her cubs
and tear open the rib cage over their hearts.
I will devour them there like a lioness, ^z
like a wild beast that would rip them open.
9 I will destroy you, Israel;
you have no help but Me. ^{▼▼LXX reads At your destruction, Israel, who will help you?
,} ^ab

10 Where now is your king, ^{▼▼LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads I will be your king
,} ^ad
that he may save you in all your cities,
and the ^{▼▼Lit your} rulers ^{▼▼Or judges
,} ^ag you demanded, saying,
“Give me a king and leaders”?
11 I give you a king in My anger ^ah
and take away a king in My wrath. ^ai
12 Ephraim’s guilt is preserved;
his sin is stored up. ^aj
13 Labor pains come on him. ^ak
He is not a wise son; ^al
when the time comes,
he will not be born. ^{▼▼Lit he will not present himself at the opening of the womb for sons
,} ^an

14 I will ransom them from the power of ^{▼▼Sheol: A Hebrew word for either the grave or the realm of the dead}Sheol.
I will redeem ^{▼▼Or Should I ransom . . . Should I redeem . . . ?} them from death. ^aq
Death, where are your barbs?
Sheol, where is your sting? ^ar
Compassion is hidden from My eyes. ^as

The Coming Judgment

15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, ^{▼▼Or among reeds
,} ^au
an east wind will come, ^av
a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert.
His water source will fail,
and his spring will run dry. ^aw
The wind ^{▼▼Probably the Assyrian king} will plunder the treasury ^ay
of every precious item.

16 ^{▼▼Hs 14:1 in Hb}Samaria ^ba will bear her guilt ^bb
because she has rebelled against her God. ^bc
They will fall by the sword; ^bd
their little ones will be dashed to pieces, ^be
and their pregnant women ripped open. ^bf