Hosea 8
1 Let there be a trumpet in your throat, like an eagle over the house of the Lord, on behalf of those who have transgressed my covenant and violated my law.
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.
2 They will call on me: “O my God, we, Israel, know you.”
They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.
3 Israel has thrown away goodness; the enemy will overtake him.
Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.
4 They have reigned, but not by me. Leaders have emerged, and I did not recognize them. Their silver and their gold, they have made into idols for themselves, so that they might cross over.
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.
5 Your calf, Samaria, has been rejected. My fury has been enraged against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed?
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?
6 For it is itself also from Israel: a workman made it, and it is not God. For the calf of Samaria will be used for the webs of spiders.
The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.
7 For they will sow wind and reap a whirlwind. It does not have a firm stalk; the bud will yield no grain. But if it does yield, strangers will eat it.
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.
8 Israel has been devoured. Now, among the nations, it has become like an unclean vessel.
Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.
9 For they have gone up to Assur, a wild ass alone by himself. Ephraim has given presents to his lovers.
For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.
10 But even when they will have brought the nations together for the sake of money, now I will assemble them. And they will rest for a little while from the burden of the king and the leaders.
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.
11 For Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, and sanctuaries have become an offense for him.
Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.
12 I will write to him my intricate laws, which have been treated like strangers.
Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.
13 They will offer victims, they will immolate flesh and will eat, and the Lord will not accept them. For now he will remember their iniquity, and he will repay their sins: they will be turned back to Egypt.
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.
14 And Israel has forgotten his Maker and has built shrines. And Judah has increased its fortified cities. And I will send fire upon his cities, and it will devour its structures.
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.
