12 ·What Israel does is as useless as chasing [^LEphraim feeds on] the wind;
    he chases the east wind all day [Eccl. 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26].
They ·tell more and more lies
    and do more and more violence [multiply lies and violence].
They make ·agreements [a covenant/treaty] with Assyria,
    and they send ·a gift of olive oil [^Loil] to Egypt [^Cas tribute or to gain support].
² The Lord also has ·some things [a case/lawsuit; or a dispute; 4:1] against Judah.
    He will punish ·Israel [^LJacob] for what they have done;
    he will ·give [repay] them ·what they deserve [according to their deeds].
³ ·Their ancestor Jacob [^LHe] ·held on to his brother’s heel [or struggled with/supplanted his brother]
    ·while the two of them were being born [^Lin the womb; Gen. 25:19–26].
·When he grew to be a man [^LIn his strength/manhood],
    he ·wrestled [struggled] with God.
⁴ When Jacob ·wrestled [struggled] with the angel and ·won [prevailed],
    he ·cried [wept] and ·asked for his blessing [pleaded for/sought his favor; Gen. 32:22–32].
Later, ·God met with him [he found him] at Bethel
    and spoke with him there [Gen. 35:1].
⁵ It was the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts];
    the Lord is his ·great [memorial; memorable] name.
⁶ You must return to your God;
    ·love him, do what is just [or act with love and justice],
    and always ·trust in him as [wait for] your God.
⁷ The merchants use dishonest scales;
    they like to ·cheat people [oppress].
⁸ ·Israel [^LEphraim; 4:17] said, “I am rich! I ·am someone with power [have made my fortune]!”
    ·All their money will do them no good
because of the sins they have done [or “With all the wealth I’ve gained, no one can accuse me of sin”; ^Ceither self-vindication (continuing the quotation), or the prophet’s pronouncement of guilt].

⁹ “But I am the Lord your God,
    ·who brought you [or ever since you came] out of Egypt.
I will make you live in tents again
    as you used to do on ·worship days [the appointed festivals; ^Cthe feast of tabernacles, which commemorated the wilderness wanderings].
¹⁰ I spoke to the prophets
    and gave them many visions;
through them, I ·taught my lessons [spoke in parables; or spoke oracles of doom] to you.”

¹¹ ·The people of Gilead are evil [or Is Gilead wicked? or In Gilead there was idolatry],
    they ·are worth nothing [are worthless; or will come to nothing].
·People [or Do they…?] sacrifice bulls at Gilgal [4:15].
    But their altars will become like piles of stone
    in a plowed field.
¹² ·Your ancestor Jacob [^LJacob] fled to ·northwest Mesopotamia [^LAram; Gen. 28:5]
    where he ·worked [served; ^Chis uncle Laban] to get a wife [^CRachel (and Leah); Gen. 29:20, 28];
    he tended sheep to pay for her.
¹³ Later the Lord used a prophet [^CMoses; Deut. 18:15]
    to bring ·Jacob’s descendants [^LIsrael] out of Egypt;
he used a prophet
    to ·take care of [tend; preserve; guard] the Israelites.
¹⁴ But ·the Israelites [^LEphraim; 4:17] ·made the Lord angry [bitterly provoked the Lord];
    So the Lord ·will make them pay for the blood they have shed [^Lleave on him the guilt of his bloodshed]
    and for the ·disgraceful things they have done [or contempt they have shown].