Which Bible translation is shown on Hosea 12?

This page reproduces the public-domain World English Bible Protestant edition.

How should I cite a verse in Hosea 12?

Use the book, chapter, and verse, and name the World English Bible when the wording matters.

Hosea 12 (WEB) — Full Text

Old Testament

Hosea 12

1Ephraim feeds on wind, and chases the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and desolation. They make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

2The LORD also has a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds he will repay him.

3In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he contended with God.

4Indeed, he struggled with the angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication to him. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with us—

5even the LORD, the God of Armies. The LORD is his name of renown!

6Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.

7A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand. He loves to defraud.

8Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich. I have found myself wealth. In all my wealth they won’t find in me any iniquity that is sin.”

9“But I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt. I will yet again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast.

10I have also spoken to the prophets, and I have multiplied visions; and by the ministry of the prophets I have used parables.

11If Gilead is wicked, surely they are worthless. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls. Indeed, their altars are like heaps in the furrows of the field.

12Jacob fled into the country of Aram. Israel served to get a wife. For a wife he tended flocks and herds.

13By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.

14Ephraim has bitterly provoked anger. Therefore his blood will be left on him, and his Lord will repay his contempt.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

A wounded marriage becomes a sign of covenant betrayal and God's persistent love. Read Hosea 12 within the complete Hosea overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Hosea 12

Hosea 12 contains 14 verses and about 284 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Ephraim feeds on wind, and chases the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and desolation. They make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 14 closes: “Ephraim has bitterly provoked anger. Therefore his blood will be left on him, and his Lord will repay his contempt.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, ephraim, egypt, wind, continually, make. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Hosea 12

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Hosea 12:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.