Hosea 12:1-8 - God's Case Against Jacob's Heirs

¹ Ephraim chases the wind
and pursues the east wind.
He continually multiplies lies and violence.
He makes a covenant with Assyria,
and olive oil is carried to Egypt.

² The Lord also has a dispute with Judah.
He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways;
He will repay him based on his actions.
³ In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel,
and as an adult he wrestled with God.
⁴ Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought His favor.
He found him at Bethel,
and there He spoke with him.
⁵ Yahweh is the God of Hosts;
Yahweh is His name.
⁶ But you must return to your God.
Maintain love and justice,
and always put your hope in God.

⁷ A merchant loves to extort
with dishonest scales in his hands.
⁸ But Ephraim says:
“How rich I have become;
I made it all myself.
In all my earnings,
no one can find any crime in me
that I can be punished for!”