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.
Let there be a trumpet in your throat, like an eagle over the house of the Lord, on behalf of those who have transgressed my covenant and violated my law.
2 They shall cry to me, My God, we, Israel know thee.
They will call on me: “O my God, we, Israel, know you.”
3 Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy shall pursue him.
Israel has thrown away goodness; the enemy will overtake 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 reigned, but not by me. Leaders have emerged, and I did not recognize them. Their silver and their gold, they have made into idols for themselves, so that they might cross over.
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?
Your calf, Samaria, has been rejected. My fury has been enraged against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed?
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.
For it is itself also from Israel: a workman made it, and it is not God. For the calf of Samaria will be used for the webs of spiders.
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 will sow wind and reap a whirlwind. It does not have a firm stalk; the bud will yield no grain. But if it does yield, strangers will eat it.
8 Israel is swallowed up. They are now among the nations as a vessel in which no man delights.
Israel has been devoured. Now, among the nations, it has become like an unclean vessel.
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 Assur, a wild ass alone by himself. Ephraim has given presents to his 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 even when they will have brought the nations together for the sake of money, now I will assemble them. And they will rest for a little while from the burden of the king and the leaders.
11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, altars have been to him for sinning.
For Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, and sanctuaries have become an offense for him.
12 I wrote for him the multitude of my law, but they are counted as a strange thing.
I will write to him my intricate laws, which have been treated like strangers.
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.
They will offer victims, they will immolate flesh and will eat, and the Lord will not accept them. For now he will remember their iniquity, and he will repay their sins: they will be turned 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.
And Israel has forgotten his Maker and has built shrines. And Judah has increased its fortified cities. And I will send fire upon his cities, and it will devour its structures.
