Hosea 12:8

סְבָבֻ֤נִֽי בְכַ֙חַשׁ֙ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וּבְמִרְמָ֖ה בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וִיהוּדָ֗ה עֹ֥ד רָד֙ עִם־אֵ֔ל וְעִם־קְדוֹשִׁ֖ים נֶאֱמָֽן׃ Ephraim surrounds Me with deceit,
The House of Israel with guile.^aI.e., the deceit and guile they practice on each other (below vv. 8–9) is constantly noted by the Lord.
^bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.(But Judah stands firm with God
And is faithful to the Holy One.)^-b

אֶפְרַ֜יִם רֹעֶ֥ה ר֙וּחַ֙ וְרֹדֵ֣ף קָדִ֔ים כׇּל־הַיּ֕וֹם כָּזָ֥ב וָשֹׁ֖ד יַרְבֶּ֑ה וּבְרִית֙ עִם־אַשּׁ֣וּר יִכְרֹ֔תוּ וְשֶׁ֖מֶן לְמִצְרַ֥יִם יוּבָֽל׃ Ephraim tends the wind
And pursues the gale;
He is forever adding
Illusion to calamity.^cSeptuagint reads “futility.”
Now they make a covenant with Assyria,
Now oil is carried to Egypt.^dI.e., they foolishly depend on alliances instead of on the Lord; cf. 5.13; 7.10–11.

וְרִ֥יב לַיהֹוָ֖ה עִם־יְהוּדָ֑ה וְלִפְקֹ֤ד עַֽל־יַעֲקֹב֙ כִּדְרָכָ֔יו כְּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו יָשִׁ֥יב לֽוֹ׃ The LORD once indicted Judah,^ePresumably the patriarch Judah. Emendation would yield “Israel”; cf. next note.
And punished Jacob for his conduct,
Requited him for his deeds.

בַּבֶּ֖טֶן עָקַ֣ב אֶת־אָחִ֑יו וּבְאוֹנ֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ה אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃ In the womb he tried to supplant his brother;
Grown to manhood, he strove with a divine being,^fCf. Gen. 25.26 and 32.29.

וַיָּ֤שַׂר אֶל־מַלְאָךְ֙ וַיֻּכָ֔ל בָּכָ֖ה וַיִּתְחַנֶּן־ל֑וֹ בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ יִמְצָאֶ֔נּוּ וְשָׁ֖ם יְדַבֵּ֥ר עִמָּֽנוּ׃ He strove with an angel and prevailed—
The other had to weep and implore him.
At Bethel [Jacob] would meet him,
There to commune with him.^gHeb. “us.”

וַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַצְּבָא֑וֹת יְהֹוָ֖ה זִכְרֽוֹ׃ Yet the LORD, the God of Hosts,
Must be invoked as “LORD.”^hI.e., one should not invoke any of the angelic hosts.

וְאַתָּ֖ה בֵּאלֹהֶ֣יךָ תָשׁ֑וּב חֶ֤סֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט֙ שְׁמֹ֔ר וְקַוֵּ֥ה אֶל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ תָּמִֽיד׃ You must return to your God!
Practice goodness and justice,
And constantly trust in your God.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶפְרַ֔יִם אַ֣ךְ עָשַׁ֔רְתִּי מָצָ֥אתִי א֖וֹן לִ֑י כׇּל־יְגִיעַ֕י לֹ֥א יִמְצְאוּ־לִ֖י עָוֹ֥ן אֲשֶׁר־חֵֽטְא׃ Ephraim thinks,
“Ah, I have become rich;
I have gotten power!
^bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.All my gains do not amount
To an offense which is real guilt.”^-b

וְאָנֹכִ֛י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם עֹ֛ד אוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ֥ בׇאֳהָלִ֖ים כִּימֵ֥י מוֹעֵֽד׃ I the LORD have been your God
Ever since the land of Egypt.
I will let you dwell in your tentsⁱI.e., securely; see 2 Kings 13.5. again
As in the days of old,^jLit. “fixed season.”

וְדִבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ עַל־הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים וְאָנֹכִ֖י חָז֣וֹן הִרְבֵּ֑יתִי וּבְיַ֥ד הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים אֲדַמֶּֽה׃ When I spoke to the prophets;
For I granted many visions,
^bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.And spoke parables through the prophets.

אִם־גִּלְעָ֥ד אָ֙וֶן֙ אַךְ־שָׁ֣וְא הָי֔וּ בַּגִּלְגָּ֖ל שְׁוָרִ֣ים זִבֵּ֑חוּ גַּ֤ם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם֙ כְּגַלִּ֔ים עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃ As for Gilead, it is worthless;
And to no purpose^b have they
Been sacrificing oxen in Gilgal:
The altars of these are also
Like stone heaps upon a plowed field.^kI.e., the cults of Gilead and Gilgal are as worthless as that of Bethel.

וַיִּבְרַ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׂדֵ֣ה אֲרָ֑ם וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּאִשָּׁ֔ה וּבְאִשָּׁ֖ה שָׁמָֽר׃ Then Jacob had to flee^lThis is the punishment mentioned in 12.3. to the land of Aram;
There Israel served for a wife,
For a wife he had to guard [sheep].

וּבְנָבִ֕יא הֶעֱלָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וּבְנָבִ֖יא נִשְׁמָֽר׃ But when the LORD
Brought Israel up from Egypt,
It was through a prophet;^mI.e., not through an angel.
Through a prophet^mI.e., not through an angel. they were guarded.

הִכְעִ֥יס אֶפְרַ֖יִם תַּמְרוּרִ֑ים וְדָמָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יִטּ֔וֹשׁ וְחֶ֨רְפָּת֔וֹ יָשִׁ֥יב ל֖וֹ אֲדֹנָֽיו׃ ⁿMeaning of 12.15–13.1 uncertain.Ephraim gave bitter offense,
And his Lord cast his crimes upon him
And requited him for his mockery.