Hosea 13

Must keep going. Ephraim here plunders his own heritage. I cannot help thinking that Ephraim represents those who say they are of God but who pursue powers and principalities (false gods) and who end up with disaster. I admit you could apply this to any politician but not if you really consider what good they are engaged in, assuming you actually know what you are talking about. Regrettably it is the wicked 'religious' who come off with the most scathing judgments from the Bible. Such as we have in the second half of Psalm 50, or the second chapter of Romans.

וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀ אָ֘מַ֤ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים מַה־לְּ֭ךָ לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֖א בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־פִֽיךָ	16	But to the wicked God said, What is it to you to recount my statutes, and that you would bear my covenant in your mouth?	17 9	24 15
וְ֭אַתָּה שָׂנֵ֣אתָ מוּסָ֑ר וַתַּשְׁלֵ֖ךְ דְּבָרַ֣י אַחֲרֶֽיךָ	17	For you, you hate chastening, and cast what I speak behind you.	8 10	12 14
אִם־רָאִ֣יתָ גַ֭נָּב וַתִּ֣רֶץ עִמּ֑וֹ וְעִ֖ם מְנָאֲפִ֣ים חֶלְקֶֽךָ	18	If you see a thief then you find favour with him, and with those committing adultery, you want your share.	11 9	16 13
פִּ֭יךָ שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ בְרָעָ֑ה וּ֝לְשׁוֹנְךָ֗ תַּצְמִ֥יד מִרְמָֽה	19	Your mouth you set loose in evil, and your tongue couples deceit.	8 7	11 15
תֵּ֭שֵׁב בְּאָחִ֣יךָ תְדַבֵּ֑ר בְּבֶֽן־אִ֝מְּךָ֗ תִּתֶּן־דֹּֽפִי	20	You sit and speak against your kin. To your mother's child you assign blemish.	9 8	12 12
אֵ֤לֶּה עָשִׂ֨יתָ ׀ וְֽהֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי דִּמִּ֗יתָ הֱֽיוֹת־אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה כָמ֑וֹךָ אוֹכִיחֲךָ֖ וְאֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה לְעֵינֶֽיךָ	21	These things you have done and I kept silent. Did you suppose that being so, I would be like you? I will correct you and I will arrange it in your sight.	20 12	30 18
בִּֽינוּ־נָ֣א זֹ֭את שֹׁכְחֵ֣י אֱל֑וֹהַּ פֶּן־אֶ֝טְרֹ֗ף וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל	22	May you understand this, your forgetting of God, lest I tear and there is none to deliver.	8 7	17 14

Well, don't say you weren't warned.

Hosea 13		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
כְּדַבֵּ֤ר אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ רְתֵ֔ת נָשָׂ֥א ה֖וּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֶּאְשַׁ֥ם בַּבַּ֖עַל וַיָּמֹֽת	1		When Ephraim spoke nervously, he lifted himself up in Israel, but he bore guilt in Baal, and he died.	3e	4C	14 9
וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ יוֹסִ֣פוּ לַחֲטֹ֗א וַיַּעְשׂ֣וּ לָהֶם֩ מַסֵּכָ֨ה מִכַּסְפָּ֤ם כִּתְבוּנָם֙ עֲצַבִּ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חָרָשִׁ֖ים כֻּלֹּ֑ה לָהֶם֙ הֵ֣ם אֹמְרִ֔ים זֹבְחֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם עֲגָלִ֖ים יִשָּׁקֽוּן	2		So now they add to sin, and they made for themselves molten metal of their silver according to their understanding, idols, the construction of artifice, all of it. Of themselves they say, Human offerings kiss calves.	3e	4C	34 15
לָכֵ֗ן יִֽהְיוּ֙ כַּעֲנַן־בֹּ֔קֶר וְכַטַּ֖ל מַשְׁכִּ֣ים הֹלֵ֑ךְ כְּמֹץ֙ יְסֹעֵ֣ר מִגֹּ֔רֶן וּכְעָשָׁ֖ן מֵאֲרֻבָּֽה	3		Therefore they will be as a morning cloud and as early dew. It goes away, like chaff, storm-tossed from the threshing-floor, and like smoke through slits.	3e	4B	16 15
וְאָנֹכִ֛י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וֵאלֹהִ֤ים זֽוּלָתִי֙ לֹ֣א תֵדָ֔ע וּמוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אַ֖יִן בִּלְתִּֽי	4		And I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt, and a god except me you do not know. And saviour, there is none, without me.	3d	4C	16 16
אֲנִ֥י יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת	5		I, I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of flames.	3e	4A	9 6
כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ וַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּ שָׂבְע֖וּ וַיָּ֣רָם לִבָּ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֖ן שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי	6		According to their pasture, so they were satisfied. They were satisfied and their heart exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.	3e	4B	15 6
וָאֱהִ֥י לָהֶ֖ם כְּמוֹ־שָׁ֑חַל כְּנָמֵ֖ר עַל־דֶּ֥רֶךְ אָשֽׁוּר	7		And I became among them like a fierce lion, as a leopard on the way to Ashur.	3e	4A	8 8
אֶפְגְּשֵׁם֙ כְּדֹ֣ב שַׁכּ֔וּל וְאֶקְרַ֖ע סְג֣וֹר לִבָּ֑ם וְאֹכְלֵ֥ם שָׁם֙ כְּלָבִ֔יא חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה תְּבַקְּעֵֽם	8		I will meet them together as a bear bereaved, and will rip the caul in their heart, and devour them there as a great cat. The living of the field will split them.	3e	4B	14 15
שִֽׁחֶתְךָ֥ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כִּֽי־בִ֥י בְעֶזְרֶֽךָ	9		You have destroyed yourself, Israel, because in me is your help.	3e	3g	12
אֱהִ֤י מַלְכְּךָ֙ אֵפ֔וֹא וְיוֹשִֽׁיעֲךָ֖ בְּכָל־עָרֶ֑יךָ וְשֹׁ֣פְטֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְתָּ תְּנָה־לִּ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ וְשָׂרִֽים	10		Where is your king here that he might save you in all your cities? And your judges of whom you said, Give me a king and nobility?	3e	4C	17 17
אֶֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּאַפִּ֔י וְאֶקַּ֖ח בְּעֶבְרָתִֽי ס	11		I give you a king in my anger, and I take in my fury.	3e	3g	17
צָרוּר֙ עֲוֺ֣ן אֶפְרָ֔יִם צְפוּנָ֖ה חַטָּאתֽוֹ	12		The anguish of the iniquity of Ephraim, northward is his sin.	3e	4B	13
חֶבְלֵ֥י יֽוֹלֵדָ֖ה יָבֹ֣אוּ ל֑וֹ הוּא־בֵן֙ לֹ֣א חָכָ֔ם כִּֽי־עֵ֥ת לֹֽא־יַעֲמֹ֖ד בְּמִשְׁבַּ֥ר בָּנִֽים	13		The pangs of she who is to give birth will come to him, he an unwise child, for time will not stand in the shattering of children.	3e	4B	8 15
מִיַּ֤ד שְׁאוֹל֙ אֶפְדֵּ֔ם מִמָּ֖וֶת אֶגְאָלֵ֑ם אֱהִ֨י דְבָרֶיךָ֜ מָ֗וֶת אֱהִ֤י קָֽטָבְךָ֙ שְׁא֔וֹל נֹ֖חַם יִסָּתֵ֥ר מֵעֵינָֽי	14		From the hand of the grave I will ransom them. From death I will redeem them. Where is your pestilence, Death? Where your canker, Grave? Comfort will be hidden from my eyes.	3e	4C	12 23
כִּ֣י ה֔וּא בֵּ֥ן אַחִ֖ים יַפְרִ֑יא יָב֣וֹא קָדִים֩ ר֨וּחַ יְהוָ֜ה מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר עֹלֶ֗ה וְיֵב֤וֹשׁ מְקוֹרוֹ֙ וְיֶחֱרַ֣ב מַעְיָנ֔וֹ ה֣וּא יִשְׁסֶ֔ה אוֹצַ֖ר כָּל־כְּלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה	15	B	For himself, child among kin, is a wild ass. The east wind will come. The spirit of Yahweh from the wilderness will ascend, and his fountain will be ashamed and his springs will become a desert. He will himself plunder the treasury of all attractive instruments.	3e	4C	7 36