God’s Case against Jacob’s Heirs
1 Ephraim chases 12:1 Or grazes on, or tends the wind 12:1 Jr 22:22; Hs 4:19
and pursues the east wind. 12:1 Gn 41:6; Ezk 17:10
He continually multiplies lies and violence.
He makes a covenant with Assyria, 12:1 Hs 5:13; 7:11; 8:9
and olive oil is carried to Egypt. 12:1 2Kg 17:4
2 The Lord also has a dispute with Judah.
He is about to punish Jacob according to his conduct; 12:2 Hs 4:9; 7:2
he will repay him based on his actions.
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, 12:3 Gn 25:26; 27:36
and as an adult he wrestled with God. 12:3 Gn 32:24–28
4 Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought his favor. 12:4 Gn 32:26
He found him at Bethel, 12:4 Gn 28:13–15; 35:10–15
and there he spoke with him. 12:4 LXX, Syr; MT reads us, 12:4 Gn 28:10–22; 35:1–14
5 The Lord is the God of Armies;
the Lord is his name. 12:5 Ex 3:15
6 But you must return to your God. 12:6 Hs 6:1–3; 10:12
Maintain love and justice, 12:6 Hs 6:6
and always put your hope in God. 12:6 Mc 7:7
7 A merchant loves to extort 12:7 Hs 7:14
with dishonest scales in his hands. 12:7 Pr 11:1; Am 8:5; Mc 6:11
8 But Ephraim thinks,
"How rich I have become; 12:8 Ps 62:10; Hs 13:6
I made it all myself.
In all my earnings,
no one can find any iniquity in me 12:8 Hs 4:8; 14:1; Am 3:15; 6:4–6
that I can be punished for! " 12:8 Lit iniquity which is sin
Judgment on Apostate Israel
9 I have been the Lord your God
ever since 12:9 LXX reads God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 12:9 Hs 11:1; 13:3
I will make you live in tents again, 12:9 Lv 23:42
as in the festival days.
10 I will speak through the prophets 12:10 Jr 7:25
and grant many visions;
I will give parables through the prophets. 12:10 Ezk 17:2; 20:49
11 Since Gilead is full of evil, 12:11 Hs 6:8
they will certainly come to nothing.
They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; 12:11 Hs 4:15; 9:15
even their altars will be like piles of rocks 12:11 Hs 8:11; 10:1–2
on the furrows of a field.
Further Indictment of Jacob’s Heirs
12 Jacob fled to the territory of Aram. 12:12 Gn 28:5
Israel worked to earn a wife; 12:12 Gn 29:20
he tended flocks for a wife. 12:12 Gn 29:1–20
13 The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, 12:13 Ex 14:19–22; Is 63:11–14
and Israel was tended by a prophet.
14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, 12:14 2Kg 17:7–18
so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him 12:14 Ezk 18:10–13
and repay him for his contempt. 12:14 Dn 11:18; Mc 6:16