Hosea 8
1 Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
Set the cornet to thy mouth. [Let the enemy come] like the eagle against the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and against my law have they trespassed.
2 Israel cries out to Me, “O our God, we know You!”
To me will they then cry, My God, we, Israel, know thee.
3 But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him.
[But] Israel did reject the good; so let the enemy pursue him.
4 They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction.
They set up kings, but not my advice: they chose princes and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made themselves idols so that they will be cut off.
5 He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?
Thy calf, O Samaria, hath caused thy rejection; my anger is kindled against them: how long will it be that they cannot cleanse themselves?
6 For this thing is from Israel— a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.
For whom Israel did also that [idol] spring; an artisan made it, and no God is it: so then shall it become broken in splinters— that calf of Samaria.
7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up.
For the wind do they sow, and the whirlwind shall they reap: [their seed] bringeth no standing corn; the plant yieldeth no meal; but should it yield it, strangers would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up! Now they are among the nations like a worthless vessel.
Swallowed up is Israel: now are they among the nations as a vessel without any value.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey on its own. Ephraim has hired lovers.
For they are needs gone up to Assyria, they who like a wild ass should dwell alone: Ephraim spendeth lovers' gifts.
10 Though they hire allies among the nations, I will now round them up, and they will begin to diminish under the oppression of the king of princes.
But even though they should spend gifts among the nations, now will I gather them: and they shall be humbled a little through the burden of the king of princes.
11 Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.
Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, the altars have been unto him the means of sinning.
12 Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.
I ever wrote down for him the great things of my law; but as a strange thing are they accounted.
13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.
My sacrificial offerings they slay as common flesh that they may eat it; the Lord accepteth them not in favor: now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; they shall indeed return to Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has multiplied its fortified cities. But I will send fire upon their cities, and it will consume their citadels.
For Israel forgot his Maker, and built palaces; and Judah multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire among his cities, and it shall devour their fine edifices.
