TORAH
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Hosea - Chapter 12
Translation and Transliteration of
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1Efraim surrounds Me with deceit, The House of Yisrael with guile. (But Yehuda stands firm with Hashem And is faithful to the Holy One.)
se-va-VU-nee v'-kha-KHASHH ef-RA-yim u-v'-mir-MAH bayt yis-ra-AYL vi-hu-DAH OD RAD im-EL v'-im-k'-do-SHEEM ne-e-MAN
אסְבָבֻ֤נִֽי בְכַ֙חַשׁ֙ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וּבְמִרְמָ֖ה בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וִיהוּדָ֗ה עֹ֥ד רָד֙ עִם־אֵ֔ל וְעִם־קְדוֹשִׁ֖ים נֶאֱמָֽן׃
2Efraim tends the wind And pursues the gale; He is forever adding Illusion to calamity. Now they make a covenant with Assyria, Now oil is carried to Egypt.
e-fra-YIM ro-EH ru-AKH v'-ro-DEEF ka-DIM kol ha-YOM ka-ZAV va-SHOD yar-BEH u-ve-REET im-a-SHUR yikh-ro-TU v'-SHE-men l'-mitz-RA-yim yu-VAL
באֶפְרַ֜יִם רֹעֶ֥ה ר֙וּחַ֙ וְרֹדֵ֣ף קָדִ֔ים כׇּל־הַיּ֕וֹם כָּזָ֥ב וָשֹׁ֖ד יַרְבֶּ֑ה וּבְרִית֙ עִם־אַשּׁ֣וּר יִכְרֹ֔תוּ וְשֶׁ֖מֶן לְמִצְרַ֥יִם יוּבָֽל׃
3Hashem once indicted Yehuda, And punished Yaakov for his conduct, Requited him for his deeds.
v'-RIV la-a-do-NAI im y'-hu-DAH v'-lif-KOD al ya-a-KOV ki-d'-ra-KHAV k'-ma-a-LA-lav ya-SHEEV lo
גוְרִ֥יב לַיהֹוָ֖ה עִם־יְהוּדָ֑ה וְלִפְקֹ֤ד עַֽל־יַעֲקֹב֙ כִּדְרָכָ֔יו כְּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו יָשִׁ֥יב לֽוֹ׃
4In the womb he tried to supplant his brother; Grown to manhood, he strove with a divine being,
ba-be-TEHN a-KHAV et a-KHEE-vu, u-ve-o-NO sa-RAH et e-lo-HEEM
דבַּבֶּ֖טֶן עָקַ֣ב אֶת־אָחִ֑יו וּבְאוֹנ֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ה אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃
5He strove with an angel and prevailed— The other had to weep and implore him. At Beit El [Yaakov] would meet him, There to commune with him.
vai-YA-sar el mal-ACH va-yu-KHAL ba-KHA va-yi-tcha-NEN-lo bayt-AYL yim-TZA-e-NU v'-SHAM y'-da-BER i-ma-NU
הוַיָּ֤שַׂר אֶל־מַלְאָךְ֙ וַיֻּכָ֔ל בָּכָ֖ה וַיִּתְחַנֶּן־ל֑וֹ בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ יִמְצָאֶ֔נּוּ וְשָׁ֖ם יְדַבֵּ֥ר עִמָּֽנוּ׃
6Yet Hashem, the God of Hosts, Must be invoked as “Hashem.”
va-Y'-ho-VA e-lo-HAY ha-tze-va-OT, Y'-ho-VA zikh-RO
ווַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַצְּבָא֑וֹת יְהֹוָ֖ה זִכְרֽוֹ׃
7You must return to your God! Practice goodness and justice, And constantly trust in your God.
v'-a-TAH b'-e-lo-HE-kha ta-SHU-v, khe-SED u-mish-PAT sh'-MOR v'-ka-VEH el e-lo-HE-kha ta-MEED
זוְאַתָּ֖ה בֵּאלֹהֶ֣יךָ תָשׁ֑וּב חֶ֤סֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט֙ שְׁמֹ֔ר וְקַוֵּ֥ה אֶל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ תָּמִֽיד׃
8A trader who uses false balances, Who loves to overreach,
K'-NA-an b'-ya-DO mo-Z'-nay mir-MAH la-a-SHOK a-HAYV
חכְּנַ֗עַן בְּיָד֛וֹ מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָ֖ה לַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אָהֵֽב׃
9Efraim thinks, “Ah, I have become rich; I have gotten power! All my gains do not amount To an offense which is real guilt.”
vai-YO-mer ef-RA-yim, akh a-shar-TEE ma-TZA-tee ON lee, kol ye-gi-AI lo yim-tze-U-lee a-VON a-SHER-khe-TA
טוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶפְרַ֔יִם אַ֣ךְ עָשַׁ֔רְתִּי מָצָ֥אתִי א֖וֹן לִ֑י כׇּל־יְגִיעַ֕י לֹ֥א יִמְצְאוּ־לִ֖י עָוֺ֥ן אֲשֶׁר־חֵֽטְא׃
10I Hashem have been your God Ever since the land of Egypt. I will let you dwell in your tents again As in the days of old,
v'-a-NO-khee a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha may-E-retz mitz-RA-yim, OD o-shee-VE-kha b'-o-ha-LEEM ki-MAY mo-EID
יוְאָנֹכִ֛י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם עֹ֛ד אוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ֥ בׇאֳהָלִ֖ים כִּימֵ֥י מוֹעֵֽד׃
11When I spoke to the Neviim; For I granted many visions, And spoke parables through the Neviim.
v'-di-BAR-tee al ha-ne-vee-EEM v'-a-no-KHEE cha-ZON hir-BAY-tee u-v'-yad ha-ne-vee-EEM a-da-MEH
יאוְדִבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ עַל־הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים וְאָנֹכִ֖י חָז֣וֹן הִרְבֵּ֑יתִי וּבְיַ֥ד הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים אֲדַמֶּֽה׃
12As for Gilad, it is worthless; And to no purpose have they Been sacrificing oxen in Gilgal: The altars of these are also Like stone heaps upon a plowed field.
im-GIL-aD a-VEN akh-SHAV hu-YU ba-GIL-GAL she-va-REEM zi-BE-khu, gam miz-be-KHO-tam ke-ga-LIM al tal-MAY sa-DAI
יבאִם־גִּלְעָ֥ד אָ֙וֶן֙ אַךְ־שָׁ֣וְא הָי֔וּ בַּגִּלְגָּ֖ל שְׁוָרִ֣ים זִבֵּ֑חוּ גַּ֤ם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם֙ כְּגַלִּ֔ים עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃
13Then Yaakov had to flee to the land of Aram; There Yisrael served for a wife, For a wife he had to guard [sheep].
vai-YIV-rakh ya-a-KOV s'-DEH a-RAM, vai-YA-a-VOD yis-ra-AYL b'-i-SHA, u-b'-i-SHA sha-MAR
יגוַיִּבְרַ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׂדֵ֣ה אֲרָ֑ם וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּאִשָּׁ֔ה וּבְאִשָּׁ֖ה שָׁמָֽר׃
14But when Hashem Brought Yisrael up from Egypt, It was through a Navi; Through a Navi they were guarded.
uv-na-VEE he-e-LAH a-do-NAI et yis-ra-AYL mi-mitz-RA-yim uv-na-VEE nish-MAR
ידוּבְנָבִ֕יא הֶעֱלָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וּבְנָבִ֖יא נִשְׁמָֽר׃
12:14 Through a Navi they were guarded
In verses 13 and 14, Hoshea ties together two stories from Israel’s history: Yaakov’s sojourn in Aram and Israel’s slavery in Egypt. Both places served as refuge. Aram was Yaakov’s asylum from his brother’s wrath, and Egypt provided sustenance for Yaakov’s family during the famine. However, in both of those places, the experiences turned sour. Yaakov was deceived by Laban into working for his wives under strenuous conditions, and ultimately had to flee back to Israel. The Egyptians also took advantage of their guests and enslaved the Israelites. Hoshea uses the Hebrew word shamar (שמר), meaning ‘to keep’ or ‘to guard,’ to connect the two episodes. At the end of verse 13, he writes that Yaakov guarded Laban’s sheep from danger, while at the end of verse 14, he says that Hashem guarded Israel through His prophet and led them out of Egypt to safety.
15Efraim gave bitter offense, And his Lord cast his crimes upon him And requited him for his mockery.
hi-k'-EES ef-RA-yim tam-ru-REEM v'-da-MAV a-LAV yi-TO-sh v'-kher-PA-to ya-SHEEV LO a-do-NAV
טוהִכְעִ֥יס אֶפְרַ֖יִם תַּמְרוּרִ֑ים וְדָמָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יִטּ֔וֹשׁ וְחֶ֨רְפָּת֔וֹ יָשִׁ֥יב ל֖וֹ אֲדֹנָֽיו׃
