Hosea 8
1 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.
Set the horn to thy mouth. As a vulture he cometh against the house of the LORD; because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law.
2 They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.
Will they cry unto Me: 'My God, we Israel know Thee'?
3 Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.
Israel hath cast off that which is good; the enemy shall pursue him.
4 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.
They have set up kings, but not from Me, they have made princes, and I knew it not; of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
5 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?
Thy calf, O Samaria, is cast off; Mine anger is kindled against them; how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?
6 The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.
For from Israel is even this: the craftsman made it, and it is no God; yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in shivers.
7 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.
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind; it hath no stalk, the bud that shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.
8 Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.
Israel is swallowed up; now are they become among the nations as a vessel wherein is no value.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.
For they are gone up to Assyria, like a wild ass alone by himself; Ephraim hath hired lovers.
10 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.
Yea, though they hire among the nations, now will I gather them up; and they begin to be minished by reason of the burden of king and princes.
11 Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.
For Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, yea, altars have been unto him to sin.
12 Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.
Though I write for him never so many things of My Law, they are accounted as a stranger's.
13 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.
As for the sacrifices that are made by fire unto Me, let them sacrifice flesh and eat it, for the LORD accepteth them not. Now will He remember their iniquity, and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
14 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.
For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces, and Judah hath multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.
