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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.
3 He took his brother (E)by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he (F)struggled with God.
4 Yes, 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—
5 That 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.
8 And 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.”

11 Though (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.

12 Jacob (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.
14 Ephraim (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.

#### Footnotes

1. Hosea 12:1 ruin
2. Hosea 12:1 Or treaty
3. Hosea 12:2 A legal complaint
4. Hosea 12:7 Or merchant
5. Hosea 12:10 Or parables
6. Hosea 12:10 Lit. by the hand
7. Hosea 12:11 worthless

#### Cross references

1. Hosea 12:1 : Job 15:2, 3; Hos. 8:7
2. Hosea 12:1 : 2 Kin. 17:4; Hos. 8:9
3. Hosea 12:1 : Is. 30:6
4. Hosea 12:2 : Hos. 4:1; Mic. 6:2
5. Hosea 12:3 : Gen. 25:26
6. Hosea 12:3 : Gen. 32:24–28
7. Hosea 12:4 : [Gen. 28:12–19; 35:9–15]
8. Hosea 12:5 : Ex. 3:15
9. Hosea 12:6 : Hos. 14:1; Mic. 6:8
10. Hosea 12:7 : Prov. 11:1; Amos 8:5; Mic. 6:11
11. Hosea 12:8 : Ps. 62:10; Hos. 13:6; Rev. 3:17
12. Hosea 12:9 : Lev. 23:42
13. Hosea 12:10 : 2 Kin. 17:13; Jer. 7:25
14. Hosea 12:11 : Hos. 6:8
15. Hosea 12:11 : Hos. 9:15
16. Hosea 12:12 : Gen. 28:5; Deut. 26:5
17. Hosea 12:12 : Gen. 29:20, 28
18. Hosea 12:13 : Ex. 12:50, 51; 13:3; Ps. 77:20; Is. 63:11, 12; Mic. 6:4
19. Hosea 12:14 : Ezek. 18:10–13
20. Hosea 12:14 : Dan. 11:18; Mic. 6:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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