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.
“Place a trumpet at your lips! An eagle is coming over the house of Yahweh because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.
2 They shall call upon me: O my God, we, Israel, know thee.
They cry out to me, 'My God, we in Israel know you.'
3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, the enemy shall pursue him.
But Israel has rejected what is good, and the enemy will 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 have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves, but it was only so they might be cut off.”
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 has been rejected, Samaria. My anger is burning against these people. For how long will they stay guilty?
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.
For this idol came from Israel; a workman made it; it is not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.
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.
For the people sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it yields no flour. If it does come to maturity, foreigners will devour it.
8 Israel is swallowed up: now is he become among the nations like an unclean vessel.
Israel is swallowed up; now they lie among the nations like something useless.
9 For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath given gifts to his lovers.
For they went up to Assyria like a wild donkey all alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for herself.
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.
Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of princes.
11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin: altars are become to him unto sin.
For Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin offerings, but they have become altars for committing sins instead.
12 I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign.
I could write down my law for them ten thousand times, but they would view it as something strange to them.
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.
As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but I, Yahweh, do not accept them. Now I will think about their iniquity and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.
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.
Israel has forgotten me, his Maker, and has built palaces. Judah has fortified many cities, but I will send fire on his cities; it will destroy his fortresses.
