| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria, and olive oil is carried to Egypt. | 1Ephraim continually feeds on the wind; he chases the east wind all day; he multiplies lies and violence. They make treaties with Assyria, and send olive oil as tribute to Egypt. |
| 2The LORD also has a dispute with Judah. He is about to punish Jacob according to his ways; He will repay him based on his actions. | 2The LORD also has a covenant lawsuit against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds. |
| 3In the womb he grasped his brother's heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God. | 3In the womb he attacked his brother; in his manly vigor he struggled with God. |
| 4Jacob struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor. He found him at Bethel, and there He spoke with him. | 4He struggled with an angel and prevailed; he wept and begged for his favor. He found God at Bethel, and there he spoke with him! |
| 5Yahweh is the God of Hosts; Yahweh is His name. | 5As for the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is the name by which he is remembered! |
| 6But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God. | 6But you must return to your God, by maintaining love and justice, and by waiting for your God to return to you. |
| 7A merchant loves to extort with dishonest scales in his hands. | 7The businessmen love to cheat; they use dishonest scales. |
| 8But Ephraim says:" How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any crime in me that I can be punished for!" | 8Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich! I have become wealthy! In all that I have done to gain my wealth, no one can accuse me of any offense that is actually sinful." |
| 9I have been Yahweh your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival days. | 9"I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again as in the days of old. |
| 10I spoke through the prophets and granted many visions; I gave parables through the prophets. | 10I spoke to the prophets; I myself revealed many visions; I spoke in parables through the prophets." |
| 11Since Gilead is full of evil, they will certainly come to nothing. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; even their altars will be like heaps of rocks on the furrows of a field. | 11Is there idolatry in Gilead? Certainly its inhabitants will come to nothing! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed field! |
| 12Jacob fled to the land of Aram. Israel worked to earn a wife; he tended flocks for a wife. | 12Jacob fled to the country of Aram, then Israel worked to acquire a wife; he tended sheep to pay for her. |
| 13The LORD brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, and Israel was tended by a prophet. | 13The LORD brought Israel out of Egypt by a prophet, and due to a prophet Israel was preserved alive. |
| 14Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him and repay him for his contempt. | 14But Ephraim bitterly provoked him to anger; so he will hold him accountable for the blood he has shed, his Lord will repay him for the contempt he has shown. |
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