Chapter 12

Ephraim Reminded

1 1Ephraim feeds on awind,

And pursues the beast wind continually;

He multiplies lies and violence.

Moreover, 2he makes a covenant with Assyria,

And oil is carried to Egypt.

2 The Lord also has a adispute with Judah,

And will punish Jacob baccording to his ways;

He will repay him according to his deeds.

3 In the womb he atook his brother by the heel,

And in his maturity he bcontended with God.

4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;

He wept and asought His favor.

He found Him at bBethel

And there He spoke with us,

5 Even the Lord, the God of hosts,

The Lord is His 1aname.

6 Therefore, areturn to your God,

bObserve 1kindness and justice,

And cwait for your God continually.

7 A 1merchant, in whose hands are false abalances,

He loves to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become arich,

I have found wealth for myself;

In all my labors they will find in me

bNo iniquity, which would be sin.”

9 But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;

I will make you alive in tents again,

As in the days of the appointed festival.

10 I have also spoken to the aprophets,

And I 1gave numerous visions,

And through the prophets I gave bparables.

11 Is there iniquity in Gilead?

Surely they are worthless.

In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,

Yes, atheir altars are like the stone heaps

Beside the furrows of the field.

12 Now aJacob fled to the 1land of Aram,

And bIsrael worked for a wife,

And for a wife he kept sheep.

13 But by a aprophet the Lord brought Israel from Egypt,

And by a prophet he was kept.

14 aEphraim has provoked to bitter anger;

So his Lord will leave his bbloodguilt on him

And bring back his creproach to him.