12 “Eʹphra·im is feeding on wind.
He chases after the east wind all day long.
He multiplies lies and violence.
They make a covenant with As·syrʹi·a and take oil to Egypt.
2 Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} has a legal case against Judah;
He will call for an accounting against Yacob according to his ways,
And he will repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he seized his brother by the heel,
And with his vigor he contended with Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}.
4 He kept contending with an angel and prevailed.
He wept and begged for his favor.”
He found him at Bethʹel, and there He spoke with us,
5 Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of armies,
Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} is his memorial name.
6 “So return to your Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'},
Maintain loyal love and justice,
And always hope in your Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}.
7 But in the hand of the tradesman are deceptive scales;
He loves to defraud.
8 Eʹphra·im keeps saying, ‘Indeed, I have become rich;
I have found wealth.
And in all my toil, they will not find anything wrong or sinful.’
9 But I am Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} your Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} from the land of Egypt.
I will again make you dwell in tents
As in the days of an appointed time.
10 I spoke to the prophets,
I multiplied their visions,
And I spoke parables through the prophets.
11 With Gilʹe·ad there has been deception and untruth.
In Gilʹgal they have sacrificed bulls,
And their altars are like piles of stones in the furrows of the field.
12 Yacob ran away to the territory of Aʹram;
Isra'Al served there for a wife,
And for a wife he guarded sheep.
13 By a prophet Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} brought Isra'Al up from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was guarded.
14 Eʹphra·im has caused bitter offense;
His bloodguilt remains on him;
His Lord will repay him for his reproach.”