Category: Hosea

God is the Loving Father of His People

1 When Israel was a child [a young nation], I loved him,

And I called My son out of Egypt.

2 The more they [the prophets] called them [to repentance and obedience],

The more they went away from them;

They kept sacrificing to the Baals

And burning incense to the carved images.

3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,

Taking them in My arms [nurturing the young nation];

But they did not know that I healed them.

4 I led themgentlywith cords of a man, with bonds of love [guiding them],

And I was to them as one who lifts upandeases the yoke [of the law] over their jaws;

And I bent down to them and fed them.

5 They will not return to the land of Egypt,

But Assyria will be their king [bringing them into captivity]

Because they refused to returnto Me.

6 The sword will whirl againstandfall on their cities,

And will demolish the bars of their gatesandfortifications

And will consume them because of their counsels.

7 My people are bent on turning from Me;

Though the prophets call them tothe Oneon high,

None at all exaltsHim.

8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I surrender you, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you likeZeboiim?

My heart recoils within Me;

All My compassions are kindled together [for My nation of Israel].

9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;

I will not return to Ephraim to destroy him again.

For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst [who will not revoke My covenant],

And I will not come in wrathorenter the city [in judgment].

10 They will walk after the Lord[in obedience and worship],

Who will roar like a lion;

He will roar [summoning them]

AndHissons will come trembling from the west.

11 They will come tremblingandhurriedly like birds from Egypt

And like doves from the land of Assyria;

And I will settle them in their houses [in the land of their inheritance], declares the Lord.

12 Ephraim surrounds Me with lies

And the house of Israel with deceit;

Judah is also unruly against God,

Even against the faithful Holy One.

Ephraim Reminded

1 Ephraim feeds on the [emptiness of the] wind

And [continually] pursues the [parching] east wind [which brings destruction];

Every day he multiplies lies and violence.

Further, he makes a covenant with Assyria

And (olive) oil is carried to Egypt [to seek alliances].

2 The Lordalso has a dispute [a legal complaint and an indictment] with Judah,

And He will punish Jacob in accordance with his ways;

He will repay him in accordance with his deeds.

3 Intheir mother’swomb he took his brother by the heel,

And in his maturity he contended with God.

4 He wrestled with the angel and prevailed;

He wept [in repentance] and sought His favor.

He met Him at Bethel

And there God spoke with [him and through him with] us—

5 Even the Lord, the God of hosts,

The name of Him [who spoke with Jacob] is the Lord.

6 Therefore, return [in repentance] to your God,

Observeandhighly regard kindness and justice,

And wait [expectantly] for your God continually.

7 A merchant, in whose hand are falseandfraudulent balances;

He loves to oppressandexploit.

8 Ephraim said, “I have indeed become rich [and powerful as a nation];

I have found wealth for myself.

In all my labors they will not find in me

Any wickedness thatwould besin.”

9 But Ihave beenthe Lordyour God since [you became a nation in] the land of Egypt;

I will make you live in tents again,

As in the days of the appointedandsolemnfestival.

10 I have also spoken to [you through] the prophets,

And I gave [them] many visions [to make My will known],

And through the prophets I gave parables [to appeal to your sense of right and wrong].

11 Is there wickedness (idolatry) in Gilead?

Surely the people there are worthless.

In Gilgal [they defy Me when] they sacrifice bulls,

Yes, [after My judgment] their [pagan] altars are like the stone heaps

In the furrows of the fields.

12 Now Jacob (Israel) fled into the open country of Aram (Paddan-aram),

And [there] Israel (Jacob) workedandserved for a wife,

And for a wife he keptsheep.

13 And by a prophet (Moses) the Lordbrought Israel up from Egypt,

And by a prophet Israel was preserved.

14 Ephraim has provoked most bitter anger;

So his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him [invoking punishment]

And bring back to him his shameanddishonor.

Ephraim’s Idolatry

1 When Ephraim spoke,there wastremblingandterror.

He exalted himself [above the other tribes] in Israel;

But through [the worship of] Baal he became guilty and died [spiritually, and then came ruin, sealing Israel’s doom as a nation].

2 And now they sin more and more,

And make for themselves molten images,

Idols skillfully made from their silver [as it pleased them],

All of them the work of the craftsmen.

They say of these [very works of their hands], “Let those who sacrifice kissandshow respect to the calves [as if they were living gods]!”

3 Therefore they will be [swiftly dissipated] like the morning cloud

Or like dew which soon disappears,

Like chaff which swirls with the whirlwind from the threshing floor,

And like smoke from the chimneyorthrough the window [worthless and without substance —they will vanish].

4 Yet Ihave beenthe Lordyour God

Since [the time you became a nation in] the land of Egypt;

And you were not to know any god except Me,

For there is no savior besides Me.

5 I knewandregarded youandcared for you in the wilderness,

In the land of drought.

6 Whenthey hadtheir pasture, they became satisfied,

And being satisfied, their heart became proud (self-centered);

Therefore they forgot Me.

7 So I will be like a lion to them;

Like a leopard I will watchandlie in wait [ready to attack] by the road [to Assyria].

8 I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs,

And I will tear open their chests;

There I will also devour them like a lioness,

As a wild beast would tear them.

9 It is your destruction, O Israel,

Becauseyou areagainst Me, [and have rebelled] against your help.

10 Where now is your king

That he may save you [when you are attacked] in all your cities?

And your judges of whom you asked,

“Give me a king and princes”?

11 I gave you a king in My anger,

And I took him away in My wrath [as punishment].

12 The wickedness of Ephraim [which is not yet completely punished] is bound up [as in a bag];

His sin is stored up [for judgment and destruction].

13 The pains of childbirth come on him;

But he is not a wise son,

For it is not the time to delay [his chance at a new birth] as the womb opens [but he ignores the opportunity to change].

14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol (the place of the dead)?

Shall I redeem them from death?

O death, where are your thorns?

O Sheol, where is your sting?

Compassion is hidden from My eyes [because of their failure to repent].

15 For though he flourishes among the reeds (his fellow tribes),

An east wind (Assyria) will come,

The breath of the Lordrising from the desert;

And Ephraim’s spring will become dry

And his fountain will be dried up.

Assyria will plunder his treasury of every precious object.

16 Samaria will be found guilty [and become desolate],

Because she rebelled against her God;

They will fall by the sword,

Their infants will be dashed in pieces,

And their pregnant women will be ripped open.

Israel’s Future Blessing

1 O Israel, return [in repentance] to the Lordyour God,

For you have stumbledandfallen [visited by tragedy], because of your sin.

2 Take the words [confessing your guilt] with you and return to the Lord.

Say to Him, “Take away all our wickedness;

Accept what is goodandreceive us graciously,

So that we may present the fruit of our lips (gratitude).

3 Assyria will not save us;

We will not ride on horses [relying on military might],

Nor will we say again to [the idols who are] the work of our hands,

‘You are our gods.’

For in You [O Lord] the orphan finds loveandcompassionandmercy.”

4 I will heal their apostasyandfaithlessness;

I will love them freely,

For My anger has turned away from Israel.

5 I shall be like the dew to Israel;

He will blossom like the lily,

And he will take root likethe cedars ofLebanon.

6 His shoots will sprout,

And his beauty will be like the olive tree

And his fragrance likethe cedars ofLebanon.

7 Those who live in his shadow

Will again raise grain,

And they will blossom like the vine.

His renownwill belike the wine of Lebanon.

8 O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?

It is I who have answered and will care for youandwatch over you.

I am like a luxuriant cypress tree;

With Me your fruit is found [which is to nourish you].

9 Whoever is [spiritually] wise, let him understand these things;

Whoeveris [spiritually] discerningandunderstanding, let him know them.

For the ways of the Lordare right,

And the righteous will walk in them,

But transgressors will stumbleandfall in them.