King James Version

Hosea 12:1

Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Hosea 12:2.

אֶפְרַ֜יִםefrayimEphraimאֶפְרַיִםnoun, proper name — “Ephraim”H669Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territoryEphraim, Ephraimites.רֹעֶ֥הroehcompanionרָעָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “companion”, a verb used as a describing wordH7462to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)[idiom] break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep) (-er), pastor, [phrase] shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.ר֨וּחַ֙ruchaangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “anger”, the ordinary formH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).וְרֹדֵ֣ףverodefand chaseרָדַףconjunction, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “and chase”, a verb used as a describing wordH7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).קָדִ֔יםqadimeastקָדִיםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “east”, the ordinary formH6921the fore or front part; hence (by orientation) the East (often adverbially, eastward, for brevity the east wind)east(-ward, wind).כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הַיּ֕וֹםhayomthe as long asיוֹםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…כָּזָ֥בkazavdeceitfulכָּזָבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “deceitful”, the ordinary formH3577falsehood; literally (untruth) or figuratively (idol)deceitful, false, leasing, + liar, lie, lying.וָשֹׁ֖דvashodand desolationשֹׁדconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and desolation”, the ordinary formH7701violence, ravagedesolation, destruction, oppression, robbery, spoil(-ed, -er, -ing), wasting.יַרְבֶּ֑הyarbehincreaseרָבָהverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “increase”, an unfinished actionH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…וּבְרִית֙uveritand confederacyבְּרִיתconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and confederacy”, the ordinary formH1285a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league.עִםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).אַשּׁ֣וּרashurAssyriaאַשּׁוּרnoun, proper name — “Assyria”H804Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empireAsshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians. See H838 (אָשֻׁר).יִכְרֹ֔תוּyikhrotvcovenantכָּרַתverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “covenant”, an unfinished actionH3772to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want.וְשֶׁ֖מֶןveshemenand oliveשֶׁמֶןconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and olive”, the ordinary formH8081grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richnessanointing, [idiom] fat (things), [idiom] fruitful, oil(-ed), ointment, olive, [phrase] pine.לְמִצְרַ֥יִםlemitsrayimto Egyptמִצְרַיִםpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Egypt”H4714Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower EgyptEgypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.יוּבָֽלyuvalbringיָבַלverb, hophal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bring”, an unfinished actionH2986properly, to flow; causatively, to bring (especially with pomp)bring (forth), carry, lead (forth).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(12-2) Ephraim striveth after wind, and followeth after the east wind; all the day he multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he continually multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

Young’s Literal Translation

Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day lying and spoiling he multiplieth, And a covenant with Asshur they make, And oil to Egypt is carried.

World English Bible

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.

Darby Translation

Ephraim feedeth on wind, and pursueth after the east wind: all day long he multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

Douay-Rheims

Ephraim feedeth on the wind, and followeth the burning heat: all the day long he multiplied lies and desolation: and he hath made a covenant with the Assyrians, and carried oil into Egypt.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(12-2) Ephraim striveth after wind, and followeth after the east wind; all the day he multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

But Ephraim is an evil spirit, he has chased the east wind all the day: he has multiplied empty and vain things, and made a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil has gone in the way of traffic into Egypt.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὁ δὲ Ἐφραὶμ πονηρὸν πνεῦμα, ἐδίωξε καύσωνα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν· κενὰ καὶ μάταια ἐπλήθυνε, καὶ διαθήκην μετὰ Ἀσσυρίων διέθετο, καὶ ἔλαιον εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐνεπορεύετο.