Hosea 8

1 Put a trumpet to your lips! An eagle swoops over the house of the Lord because they have broken my agreement and rebelled against my law.

“Put the trumpet to your lips! Something like an eagle is over the LORD’s house, because they have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.

2 Israel calls out to me, “Our God, we know you!”

They cry to me, ‘My God, we, Israel, acknowledge you!’

3 But Israel has rejected what is good. An enemy will chase after them.

Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.

4 They appointed kings without my consent and chose princes without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I did not approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off.

5 Samaria, I reject this calf idol you have made! My anger burns against them! How long will you be incapable of being good?

Let Samaria throw out his calf idol! My anger burns against them! How long will it be until they are capable of purity?

6 This idol is from Israel! A craftsman made it—it's not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces!

For this is even from Israel! The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

7 Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head of grain; it will produce no flour. Even if it did produce grain, foreigners would swallow it all up.

For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.

8 Israel is swallowed up; among the nations they are like something nobody wants.

Israel is swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like a worthless thing.

9 They have gone up to Assyria like a donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.

For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for himself.

10 Even though they have hired allies among the nations, I will gather them together. Then they will writhe under the burden of the great king.

But although they sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.

11 Though Ephraim built many altars to make sin offerings, they instead became altars of sin!

Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning.

12 I wrote down for them the many aspects of my law, but they looked on them as foreign.

I wrote for him the many things of my law, but they were regarded as a strange thing.

13 They present me with their sacrifices, and they eat the meat, but I the Lord do not accept them. Now he will remember their wickedness, and punish them for their sins. They will return to Egypt.

As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the LORD does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.

14 Israel has forgotten his maker, and built palaces; Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will rain fire down on their cities and burn up their fortresses.

For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire on his cities, and it will devour its fortresses.”