Hosea 13:3

Green's Literal Translation

So they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passes away, as chaff storm driven from the threshing floor, and as the smoke out of the window.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
That is why those people will soon disappear. They will be like a fog that comes early in the morning and then quickly disappears. The Israelites will be like chaff that is blown from the threshing floor. The Israelites will be like smoke that goes out a window and disappears.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor, And like smoke from a chimney.

New Century Version
So those people will be like the morning mist; they will disappear like the morning dew. They will be like chaff blown from the threshing floor, like smoke going out a window.

New English Translation
Therefore they will disappear like the morning mist, like early morning dew that evaporates, like chaff that is blown away from a threshing floor, like smoke that disappears through an open window.

Update Bible Version
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passes early away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff [that] is driven with the whirlwind from the floor, and as the smoke from the chimney.

Amplified Bible
Therefore they will be [swiftly dissipated] like the morning cloud Or like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which swirls with the whirlwind from the threshing floor, And like smoke from the chimney or through the window [worthless and without substance —they will vanish].

English Standard Version
Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.

World English Bible
Therefore they will be like the morning cloud, And like the dew that passes away early, Like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, And like the smoke out of the chimney.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor thei schulen be as a morewtid cloude, and as the deew of morewtid, that passith forth, as dust rauyschide bi whirlewynd fro the corn floor, and as smoke of a chymenei.

English Revised Version
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passeth early away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, and like smoke through an open window.

Contemporary English Version
And so, all of you will vanish like the mist or the dew of early morning, or husks of grain in the wind or smoke from a chimney.

American Standard Version
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passeth early away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Bible in Basic English
So they will be like the morning cloud, like the dew which goes early away, like the dust of the grain which the wind is driving out of the crushing-floor, like smoke going up from the fireplace.

Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore they will be like a morning cloud, like the dew that disappears early, like chaff blown by wind from the threshing-floor, or like smoke that goes out the window.

Darby Translation
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the lattice.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the wind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the window.

King James Version (1611)
Therefore they shalbe as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth away, as the chaffe that is driuen with a whirlewinde out of the floore, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

New Living Translation
Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist, like dew in the morning sun, like chaff blown by the wind, like smoke from a chimney.

New Life Bible
So they will be like the morning cloud, and like the water on the grass in the early morning which is soon gone. They will be like the dust of the grain that is blown away from the grain-floor, and like smoke from a fire.

New Revised Standard
Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes away early, like chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore they shall bee as the morning cloude, and as the morning dewe that passeth away, as the chaffe that is driuen with a whirlewind out of the floore, and as the smoke that goeth out of the chimney.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passes away, as the chaff that is driven with the wind out of the threshing floor and as the smoke out of the chimney.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Therefore, shall they become like the morning cloud, and like the dew early departing, - like chaff storm-driven out of the threshing-floor, and like smoke out of a chimney.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore they shall be as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the dust that is driven with a whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Revised Standard Version
Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therfore they shalbe as the mornyng cloude, and as the deawe that early passeth away, and like as dust that the whirlewinde taketh away from the floore, and as smoke that goeth out of the chimney.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore shall they be as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passes away, as chaff blown away from the threshing-floor, and as a vapor from tears.

Good News Translation
And so these people will disappear like morning mist, like the dew that vanishes early in the day. They will be like chaff which the wind blows from the threshing place, like smoke from a chimney.

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore, they will be like the morning mist,like the early dew that vanishes,like chaff blown from a threshing floor,or like smoke from a window.

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore they will be like the morning cloud, And like the dew that passes away early, Like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, And like the smoke out of the chimney.

King James Version
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore, they will be like the morning cloud, and like the dew of early morning going away, like chaff swirling from the threshing floor, or like smoke from a window.

Young's Literal Translation
Therefore they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore they shalbe as the mornynge cloude, and as the dew that early passeth awaye: and like as dust that ye wynde taketh awaye from the floore, and as smoke that goeth out of ye chymney.

New King James Version
Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud And like the early dew that passes away, Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Therefore they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore they will be like the morning cloudAnd like dew which soon disappears,Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floorAnd like smoke from a chimney.

Contextual Overview

¹ When Ephraim spoke trembling, he was lifted up in Israel. But he offended in Baal, and he died. ² And now they sin more and more, and they have made themselves a molten image of their silver, idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen. They say to them, Let men, those who sacrifice, kiss calves. ³ So they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passes away, as chaff storm driven from the threshing floor, and as the smoke out of the window. ⁴ Yet I am Jehovah, your God from the land of Egypt; and you shall know no other gods than Me. For there is no Savior besides Me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as the morning: Hosea 6:4

as the chaff: Psalms 1:4, Psalms 68:2, Psalms 83:12-17, Isaiah 17:13, Isaiah 41:15, Isaiah 41:16, Daniel 2:35

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:14 - driven Deuteronomy 27:15 - maketh Job 21:18 - as stubble Job 30:15 - as a cloud Job 30:22 - liftest me Psalms 35:5 - as chaff Isaiah 9:14 - will cut Isaiah 9:18 - mount Isaiah 30:28 - to sift Isaiah 40:24 - and the Isaiah 57:13 - but the Jeremiah 4:11 - A Jeremiah 13:24 - as Amos 2:6 - For three Zephaniah 2:2 - as Matthew 3:12 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 12:6
And Abram passed through the land as far as the place of Shechem, to the Oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

Genesis 13:8
And Abram said to Lot, Please let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are men, brothers.

Genesis 13:9
Is not all the land before you? Please separate from me. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud,.... Which, however promising it is, soon disappears when the sun is risen; signifying that the idolatrous Israelites, king, priests, and people, should be no more; their kingdom would cease, all their riches and wealth would depart from them, and they and their children be carried captive into a strange land:

and as the early dew it passeth away; as soon as the heat of the sun is felt, when the earth is left dry; so these people, though they seemed to be in great prosperity, and to be very fruitful in children, and in substance, and promised themselves much more; yet in a little time their land would become desolate, and they stripped of all that was dear and valuable to them these metaphors are used in Hosea 6:4;

as the chaff [that] is driven with a whirlwind out of the floor; signifying that these idolatrous people were like chaff, fight and empty, useless and unprofitable, fit for nothing but burning; and that they would be driven out of their own land through the Assyrian, that should come like a whirlwind with great three and power, as easily and as quickly as chaff is drove out of a threshing floor of corn with a strong blast of wind; see Psalms 1:5;

and as the smoke out of the chimney; which rises up in a pillar, and is so on dissipated by the wind, or dissolved into air; and is no sooner seen but it disappears; see Psalms 68:2. All these similes show how easily, suddenly, and quickly, the destruction of this idolatrous nation would be brought about.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud - There is often a fair show of prosperity, out of God; but it is short-lived. “The third generation,” says the pagan proverb, “never enjoys the ill-gotten gain.” The highest prosperity of an ungodly state is often the next to its fall. Israel never so flourished, as under Jeroboam II. Bright and glistening with light is “the early dew;” in an hour it is gone, as if it had never been. Glowing and gilded by the sun is “the morning cloud;” while you admire its beauty, its hues have vanished. “The chaff” lay in one heap “on the floor” with the wheat. Its owner casts the mingled chaff and wheat against the strong wind; in a moment, it is “driven by the wind out of the floor.” While every gram falls to the ground, the chaff, light, dry, worthless, unsubstantial, is hurried along, unresisting, the sport of the viewless wind, and itself is soon seen no more. The “smoke,” one, seemingly solid, full, lofty, column, ascendeth, swelleth, welleth, vanisheth . In form, it is as solid, when about to be dispersed and seen no more, as when it first issued “out of the chimney.” : “It is raised aloft, and by that very uplifting swells into a vast globe; but the larger that globe is, the emptier, for from that unsolid, unbased, inflated greatness it vanisheth in air, so that its very greatness injures it. For the more it is uplifted, extended, diffused on all sides into a larger compass, so much the poorer it becometh, and faileth, and disappeareth.” Such was the prosperity of Ephraim, a mere show, to vanish forever. In the image of “the chaff,” the prophet substitutes the “whirlwind” for the wind by which the Easterns used to winnow, in order to picture the violence with which they should be whirled away from their own land.

While these four emblems, in common, picture what is fleeting, two, the “early dew” and the “morning cloud,” are emblems of what is in itself good, but passing ; the two others, the chaff and the smoke, are emblems of what is worthless. The dew and the cloud were temporary mercies on the part of God which should cease from them, “good in themselves, but to their evil, soon to pass away.” If the dew have not, in its brief space, refreshed the vegetation, no trace of it is left. It gives way to the burning sun. If grace have not done its work in the soul, its day is gone. Such dew were the many prophets vouchsafed to Israel; such was Hosea himself, most brilliant, but soon to pass away. The chaff was the people itself, to be carried out of the Lord’s land; the smoke, “its pride and its errors, whose disappearance was to leave the air pure for the household of God.” : “So it is written; ‘As the smoke is driven away, so shalt thou drive’ them ‘away; as wax melteth before the fire, so shall the ungodly perish before the presence of God’ Psalms 68:2; and in Proverbs; ‘As the whirlwind passeth’ Proverbs 10:25, so is ‘the wicked no’ more; ‘but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.’ Who although they live and flourish, as to the life of the body; yet spiritually they die, yea, and are brought to nothing, for by sin man became a nothing. Virtue makes man upright and stable; vice, empty and unstable. Whence Isaiah says, ‘the wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest’ Isaiah 57:20; and Job; ‘If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away; then shalt thou be steadfast.’ Job 11:14-15.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hosea 13:3. Therefore they shall be as the morning CLOUD - as the early DEW - as the CHAFF - as the SMOKE — Four things, most easy to be driven about and dissipated, are employed here to show how they should be scattered among the nations, and dissipated by captivity.