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12 Eternal One: Ephraim feeds on the wind.
        He chases the hot east wind all day long.
    He’s becoming more and more deceitful and violent.
        They’ve abandoned their covenant to make an alliance with Assyria,
        trading oil for favor from Egypt.

As Israel pursues what she cannot obtain, she becomes entangled in affairs of other nations.

The Eternal has charges to bring against Judah;
    He’ll punish the nation of Jacob for the way he’s acting
    and pay him back for the things he’s done.
Even from the womb, he fought with his brother by grabbing his heel;[a]
    when he grew to be an adult, he struggled against God.

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Footnotes

  1. 12:3 Genesis 25:26

12 [a]Ephraim(A) feeds on the wind;(B)
    he pursues the east wind all day
    and multiplies lies and violence.(C)
He makes a treaty with Assyria(D)
    and sends olive oil to Egypt.(E)
The Lord has a charge(F) to bring against Judah;(G)
    he will punish(H) Jacob[b] according to his ways
    and repay him according to his deeds.(I)
In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;(J)
    as a man he struggled(K) with God.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-14 is numbered 12:2-15.
  2. Hosea 12:2 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.