< Osee 8 >
1 [He shall come] into their midst as the land, as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and have sinned against my law.
“To your mouth—a horn, As an eagle against the house of YHWH, Because they transgressed My covenant, And against My law they have rebelled.
2 They shall soon cry out to me, [saying], O God, we know you.
To Me they cry, My God, we—Israel—have known You.
3 For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy.
Israel has cast off good, an enemy pursues him.
4 They have made kings for themselves, but not by me: they have ruled, but they did not make it known to me: [of] their silver and their gold they have made images to themselves, that they might be destroyed.
They have made kings, and not by Me, They have made princes, and I have not known, Their silver and their gold they have made to them idols, So that they are cut off.
5 Cast off your calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be unable to purge themselves in Israel?
Your calf has cast off, O Samaria, My anger has burned against them; Until when are they not capable of purity?
6 Whereas the workman made it, and it is not God; therefore your calf, Samaria, was a deceiver:
For even it [is] of Israel; a craftsman made it, And it [is] not God, For the calf of Samaria is fragments!
7 for they sowed blighted [seed], and their destruction shall await them, a sheaf of corn that avails not to make meal; and even if it should produce it, strangers shall devour it.
For wind they sow, and a windstorm they reap, Stalk it has none—a shoot not yielding grain, If so be it yield—strangers swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up: now is he become amongst the nations as a worthless vessel.
Israel has been swallowed up, Now they have been among nations, As a vessel in which is no delight.
9 For they have gone up to the Assyrians: Ephraim has been strengthened against himself; they loved gifts.
For they have gone up [to] Asshur, A wild donkey alone by himself [is] Ephraim, They have hired lovers!
10 Therefore shall they be delivered to the nations: now I will receive them, and they shall cease a little to anoint a king and princes.
Also though they hire among nations, Now I gather them, and they are pained a little, From the burden of a king of princes.
11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars, [his] beloved altars are become sins to him.
Because Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, They have been to him altars to sin.
12 I will write down a multitude [of commands] for him; but his statutes are accounted strange things, [even] the beloved altars.
I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.
13 For if they should offer a sacrifice, and eat flesh, the lord will not accept them: now will he remember their iniquities, and will take vengeance on their sins: they have returned to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things amongst the Assyrians.
The sacrifices of My offerings! They sacrifice flesh, and they eat, YHWH has not accepted them, Now He remembers their iniquity, And inspects their sin, They return [to] Egypt.
14 And Israel has forgotten him that made him, and they have built fanes, and Juda has multiplied walled cities: but I will send fire on his cities, and it shall devour their foundations.
And Israel forgets his Maker, and builds temples, And Judah has multiplied cities of defense, And I have sent a fire into his cities, And it has consumed their palaces!”