Hosea 8
1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. [He cometh] as an eagle against the house of Jehovah, because they have transgressed my covenant, and rebelled against 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 shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee; [we], Israel.
To me they continually cry, “My God, we Israel, we know you!”
3 Israel hath cast off good: the enemy shall pursue him.
But Israel has spurned that which is good, so let the foe pursue him.
4 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 them idols, 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 Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast [thee] off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be incapable of purity?
Your calf idol, O Samaria, is distasteful. My anger is kindled against them. How long will they escape punishment?
6 For from Israel is this also: — a workman made it, and it is no God: for the calf of Samaria shall be [broken in] pieces.
Israel made the thing: a workman made it. It is not a god! Samaria’s calf will become mere splinters.
7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; should it sprout, it would yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.
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 is swallowed up: now are they become among the nations as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
Israel is devoured. Already it lies discarded among the nations like a worthless pot.
9 For they are gone up [to] Assyria [as] a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
For by themselves they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey which wanders by itself. Ephraim pays for love
10 Although they hire among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall begin to be straitened under the burden of the king of princes.
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 hath multiplied altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.
For as many altars as Ephraim has erected, they are to him altars for sinning,
12 I have prescribed unto him the manifold things of my law: they are counted [as] a strange thing.
were I to write for him ever so many instructions, they would be regarded as from a stranger.
13 They sacrifice flesh [for] the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; Jehovah hath no delight in them. Now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return 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 hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
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.
