Hosea 13:1-8 ▼

1 |When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; and it was exalted within Israel. But when they offended God by Baal, they died,

2 but now they are sinning more and more, crafting idols from melted silver. Their idols are made with the most exacting skill, all of it the work of craftsmen. People say about them, 'They offer human sacrifice, and kiss calf-shaped idols.'

3 Therefore they will be like morning clouds, like early morning dew that evaporates, like chaff blown away from the threshing floor, or like smoke from a chimney.|

4 |I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt, and you have known no god except for me, because except for me there is no savior.

5 I took care of you in the wilderness, in a waterless land.

6 As their pastures flourished, all their desires were met. As they were satiated, they became arrogant and therefore ignored me.

7 |So I will be like a lion to them. Like a leopard I will stalk them along the road.

8 I will confront them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their ribs. I will devour them like a lion— the wild beasts will rip them apart.