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.
Set the cornet to thy mouth. [Let the enemy come] like the eagle against the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and against my law have they trespassed.
2 Israel calls out to me, “Our God, we know you!”
To me will they then cry, My God, we, Israel, know thee.
3 But Israel has rejected what is good. An enemy will chase after them.
[But] Israel did reject the good; so let the enemy 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 set up kings, but not my advice: they chose princes and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made themselves idols so that they will 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?
Thy calf, O Samaria, hath caused thy rejection; my anger is kindled against them: how long will it be that they cannot cleanse themselves?
6 This idol is from Israel! A craftsman made it—it's not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces!
For whom Israel did also that [idol] spring; an artisan made it, and no God is it: so then shall it become broken in splinters— that calf of Samaria.
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 the wind do they sow, and the whirlwind shall they reap: [their seed] bringeth no standing corn; the plant yieldeth no meal; but should it yield it, strangers would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up; among the nations they are like something nobody wants.
Swallowed up is Israel: now are they among the nations as a vessel without any value.
9 They have gone up to Assyria like a donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.
For they are needs gone up to Assyria, they who like a wild ass should dwell alone: Ephraim spendeth lovers' gifts.
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 even though they should spend gifts among the nations, now will I gather them: and they shall be humbled a little through the burden of the king of princes.
11 Though Ephraim built many altars to make sin offerings, they instead became altars of sin!
Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, the altars have been unto him the means of sinning.
12 I wrote down for them the many aspects of my law, but they looked on them as foreign.
I ever wrote down for him the great things of my law; but as a strange thing are they accounted.
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.
My sacrificial offerings they slay as common flesh that they may eat it; the Lord accepteth them not in favor: now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; they shall indeed 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 forgot his Maker, and built palaces; and Judah multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire among his cities, and it shall devour their fine edifices.
