Hosea 8
1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle he comes against the house of Jehovah, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
Put the horn to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of the Lord; because they have gone against my agreement, they have not kept my law.
2 They shall cry to me, My God, we, Israel know thee.
They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.
3 Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy shall pursue him.
Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.
4 They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made rulers, and I knew it not. They have made themselves idols of their silver and their gold, that they may be cut off.
They have put up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, but I had no knowledge of it; they have made images of silver and gold, so that they may be cut off.
5 He has cast off thy calf, O Samaria. My anger is kindled against them. How long will it be ere they attain to innocence?
I will have nothing to do with your young ox, O Samaria; my wrath is burning against them; how long will it be before the children of Israel make themselves clean?
6 For even this is from Israel: the workman made it, and it is no God. Yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.
7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The blade shall yield no meal. If so be it yields, strangers shall swallow it up.
For they have been planting the wind, and their fruit will be the storm; his grain has no stem, it will give no meal, and if it does, a strange nation will take it.
8 Israel is swallowed up. They are now among the nations as a vessel in which no man delights.
Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey alone by himself. Ephraim has hired lovers.
For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.
10 Yea, though they hire among the nations, I will now gather them, and they shall begin to be diminished because of the burden of the king of rulers.
But though they give money to the nations for help, still I will send them in all directions; and in a short time they will be without a king and rulers.
11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, altars have been to him for sinning.
Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.
12 I wrote for him the multitude of my law, but they are counted as a strange thing.
Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.
13 As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it, but Jehovah does not accept them. He will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. They shall return to Egypt.
He gives the offerings of his lovers, and takes the flesh for food; but the Lord has no pleasure in them; now he will keep in mind their evil-doing and give them the punishment of their sins; they will go back to Egypt.
14 For Israel has forgotten his maker, and built palaces. And Judah has multiplied fortified cities. But I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.
For Israel has no memory of his Maker, and has put up the houses of kings; and Judah has made great the number of his walled towns. But I will send a fire on his towns and put an end to his great houses.
