Oséias 13

¹ When Ephraim spakeHe shows the excellency and authority that this tribe had above all the rest.trembling, heHe made a king of his tribe.exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal,The Ephraimites are not far from destruction, and have lost their authority.he died.

² And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, [and] idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them,«Let the men that sacrifice» or «while they sacrifice men». The false prophets persuaded the idolaters to offer their children after the example of Abraham, and he shows how they would exhort one another to the same, and to kiss and worship these calves which were their idols.Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

³ Therefore they shall bee as the morning cloude, and as the morning dewe that passeth away, as the chaffe that is driuen with a whirlewind out of the floore, and as the smoke that goeth out of the chimney.

⁴ Yet I [am] the LORD thy GodHe calls them to repentance, and reproves their ingratitude.from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for [there is] no saviour beside me.

⁵ I did knowe thee in the wildernesse, in the land of drought.

⁶ As in their pastures, so were they filled: they were filled, and their heart was exalted: therefore haue they forgotten me.

⁷ And I wil be vnto them as a very lyon, and as a leopard in the way of Asshur.

⁸ I will meete them, as a beare that is robbed of her whelpes, and I will breake the kall of their heart, and there will I deuoure them like a lion: the wilde beast shall teare them.

⁹ O Israel, thouYour destruction is certain, and my benefits toward you declare that it comes not from me: therefore your own malice, idolatry, and vain confidence in men must necessarily be the cause of it.hast destroyed thyself; but in me [is] thine help.

¹⁰ I am all one; (Jam_1:17).I will be thy king: where [is any other] that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

¹¹ I gaue thee a King in mine anger, and I tooke him away in my wrath.

¹² The iniquity of Ephraim [is]It is surely laid up to be punished, as in (Jer_17:1).bound up; his sin [is] hid.

¹³ The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he [is] an unwise son; for he should not stay long in [the place of] theBut would come out of the womb, that is out of these dangers in which he is, and not wait to be suppressed.breaking forth of children.

¹⁴ I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: OMeaning that no power will resist God when he will deliver his own, but even in death he will give them life.death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction:Because they will not turn to me, I will change my purpose.repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

¹⁵ Though he grewe vp among his brethren, an East winde shall come, euen the winde of the Lord shal come vp from the wildernesse, and drie vp his veine, and his fountaine shalbe dryed vp: he shal spoyle the treasure of all pleasant vessels.

¹⁶ {cf2 (14:1)} Samaria shalbe desolate: for she hath rebelled against her God: they shal fall by the sworde: their infants shalbe dashed in pieces, & their women with childe shalbe ript.