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 trumpet to thy mouth. [He shall come] as an eagle 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.

Israel shall cry to me, My God, we know thee.

3 Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.

Israel hath cast off [the thing that 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 by me: they have made princes, and I knew [it] not: of their silver and their gold have they made for themselves 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, hath cast [thee] off; my anger is kindled against them: how long [will it be] ere they attain to innocence?

6 The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.

For from Israel [was] it also: the workman made it; therefore it [is] not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

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 have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if it shall yield, the 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 shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel in which [is] no pleasure.

9 For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.

For they have gone up to Assyria, 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.

Yes, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

11 Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.

Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be to 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.

I have written to him the great things of my law, [but] they were counted as a strange thing.

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.

They sacrifice flesh [for] the sacrifices of my offerings, and eat [it]; [but] the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit 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 buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fortified cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.