King James Version

Hosea 10:12

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

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Hebrew

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זִרְע֨וּzirvbearזָרַעverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “bear”, a commandH2232to sow; figuratively, to disseminate, plant, fructifybear, conceive seed, set with sow(-er), yield.לָכֶ֤םlakhemtoלָכֶ֤םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”toלִצְדָקָה֙litsdaqahto justiceצְדָקָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to justice”, the ordinary formH6666rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity)justice, moderately, right(-eous) (act, -ly, -ness).קִצְר֣וּqitsrvmuch discouragedקָצַרverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “much discouraged”, a commandH7114to dock off, i.e. curtail (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative); especially to harvest (grass or grain)[idiom] at all, cut down, much discouraged, grieve, harvestman, lothe, mourn, reap(-er), (be, wax) short(-en, -er), straiten, trouble, vex.לְפִיlefito edgeפֶּהpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “to edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6310the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according toaccord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] s…חֶ֔סֶדchesedkindnessחֵסֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “kindness”, the ordinary formH2617kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beautyfavour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.נִ֥ירוּnirvbreak upנִירverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “break up”, a commandH5214to till the soilbreak up.לָכֶ֖םlakhemtoלָכֶ֖םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”toנִ֑ירnirplowingנִירnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “plowing”, the ordinary formH5215properly, plowing, i.e. (concretely) freshly plowed landfallow ground, plowing, tillage.וְעֵת֙veetand whenעֵתconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “and when”, the ordinary formH6256time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.[phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.לִדְר֣וֹשׁlidroshto askדָּרַשׁpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to ask”, the to-form of the verbH1875properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worshipask, [idiom] at all, care for, [idiom] diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-) mancer, question, require, search, seek (for, out), [idiom] surely.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).יְהוָ֔הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).עַדadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.יָב֕וֹאyavoto comeבּוֹאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to come”, an unfinished actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…וְיֹרֶ֥הveyorehand shootיָרָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and shoot”, an unfinished actionH3384properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach([phrase]) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach(-er,-ing), through.צֶ֖דֶקtsedeqrightצֶדֶקnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “right”, the ordinary formH6664the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity[idiom] even, ([idiom] that which is altogether) just(-ice), (un-)right(-eous) (cause, -ly, -ness).לָכֶֽםlakhemtoלָכֶֽםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Sow to yourselves according to righteousness, reap according to mercy, break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and cause righteousness to rain upon you.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Young’s Literal Translation

Sow for yourselves in righteousness, Reap according to loving-kindness, Till for yourselves tillage of knowledge, To seek Jehovah, Till he come and shew righteousness to you.

World English Bible

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek Yahweh, until he comes and rains righteousness on you.

Darby Translation

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Douay-Rheims

Sow for yourselves in justice, and reap in the mouth of mercy, break up your fallow ground: but the time to seek the Lord is, when he shall come that shall teach you justice.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Sow to yourselves according to righteousness, reap according to mercy, break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and cause righteousness to rain upon you.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Sow to yourselves for righteousness, gather in for the fruit of life: light ye for yourselves the light of knowledge; seek the Lord till the fruits of righteousness come upon you.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Σπείρατε ἑαυτοῖς εἰς δικαιοσύνην, τρυγήσατε εἰς καρπὸν ζωῆς, φωτίσατε ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεως, ἐκζητήσατε τὸν Κύριον ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν γεννήματα δικαιοσύνης ὑμῖν.