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 trumpet to your lips! Something like an eagle is over the LORD’s house, because they have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.

2 They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.

They cry to me, ‘My God, we, Israel, acknowledge you!’

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

Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will 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 didn’t approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made 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?

Let Samaria throw out his calf idol! My anger burns against them! How long will it be until they are capable of purity?

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

For this is even from Israel! The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, 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 sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will 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 they are amongst the nations like a worthless thing.

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, like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for himself.

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 although they sold themselves amongst the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.

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

Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for 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.

I wrote for him the many things of my law, but they were regarded 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.

As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the LORD doesn’t accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will 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 has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire on his cities, and it will devour its fortresses.”