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.
Put the horn to your mouth! An eagle swoops down upon the house of the Lord because they have transgressed my covenant, 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.
To me they continually cry, ‘My God, we Israel, we know you!’
3 Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.
But Israel has spurned that which is good, so let the foe 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 themselves have made kings but without my consent. They have made princes but without my knowledge. Out of their silver and gold, they have made idols to their destruction!
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?
Your calf idol, O Samaria, is distasteful. My anger is kindled against them. How long will they escape punishment?
6 The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.
Israel made the thing: a workman made it. It is not a god! Samaria’s calf will become mere splinters.
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.
They sow the wind and will reap the whirlwind. A shoot which has no stalk, yields no fruit If it should yield, strangers would devour it.
8 Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.
Israel is devoured. Already it lies discarded among the nations like a worthless pot.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.
For by themselves they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey which wanders by itself. Ephraim pays for love
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.
but even if they sell themselves among the nations, I will round them up. Soon the kings and princes will writhe under the burden of tribute!
11 Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.
For as many altars as Ephraim has erected, they are to him altars for sinning,
12 Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.
were I to write for him ever so many instructions, they would be regarded as from a stranger.
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.
The people love sacrifice, and so they offer sacrifices, meat, and so they eat it, although the Lord is not pleased with them, so now he will remember their guilt, and punish their sins. Back to Egypt with them!
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 forgot his Maker and built palaces, and Judah multiplied fortified cities. But I will send fire upon her cities, and it will devour her strongholds.
