Hosea 8
1 Let there be a trumpet in thy throat like an eagle upon the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and have violated 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 call upon me: O my God, we, Israel, know thee.
To me they continually cry, ‘My God, we Israel, we know you!’
3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, the enemy shall pursue him.
But Israel has spurned that which is good, so let the foe pursue him.
4 They have reigned, but not by me: they have been princes, and I knew not: of their silver, and their gold they have made idols to themselves, that they might perish.
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, is cast off, my wrath is kindled against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed?
Your calf idol, O Samaria, is distasteful. My anger is kindled against them. How long will they escape punishment?
6 For itself also is the invention of Israel: a workman made it, and it is no god: for the calf of Samaria shall be turned to spiders’ webs.
Israel made the thing: a workman made it. It is not a god! Samaria’s calf will become mere splinters.
7 For they shall sow wind, and reap a whirlwind, there is no standing stalk in it, the bud shall yield no meal; and if it should yield, strangers shall eat it.
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 is he become among the nations like an unclean vessel.
Israel is devoured. Already it lies discarded among the nations like a worthless pot.
9 For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath given gifts to his lovers.
For by themselves they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey which wanders by itself. Ephraim pays for love
10 But even though they shall have hired the nations, now will I gather them together: and they shall rest a while from the burden of the king, and the 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 made many altars to sin: altars are become to him unto sin.
For as many altars as Ephraim has erected, they are to him altars for sinning,
12 I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign.
were I to write for him ever so many instructions, they would be regarded as from a stranger.
13 They shall offer victims, they shall sacrifice flesh, and shall eat it, and the Lord will not receive them: now will he remember their iniquity, and will 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 And Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and hath built temples: and Juda hath built many fenced cities: and I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the houses 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.
