Hosea 8

1 Set the horn to thy mouth. As a vulture he cometh against the house of the LORD; because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law.

“To your mouth—a horn, As an eagle against the house of YHWH, Because they transgressed My covenant, And against My law they have rebelled.

2 Will they cry unto Me: 'My God, we Israel know Thee'?

To Me they cry, My God, we—Israel—have known You.

3 Israel hath cast off that which is good; the enemy shall pursue him.

Israel has cast off good, an enemy pursues him.

4 They have set up kings, but not from 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 have made kings, and not by Me, They have made princes, and I have not known, Their silver and their gold they have made to them idols, So that they are cut off.

5 Thy calf, O Samaria, is cast off; Mine anger is kindled against them; how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

Your calf has cast off, O Samaria, My anger has burned against them; Until when are they not capable of purity?

6 For from Israel is even this: the craftsman made it, and it is no God; yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in shivers.

For even it [is] of Israel; a craftsman made it, And it [is] not God, For the calf of Samaria is fragments!

7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind; it hath no stalk, the bud that shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.

For wind they sow, and a windstorm they reap, Stalk it has none—a shoot not yielding grain, If so be it yield—strangers swallow it up.

8 Israel is swallowed up; now are they become among the nations as a vessel wherein is no value.

Israel has been swallowed up, Now they have been among nations, As a vessel in which is no delight.

9 For they are gone up to Assyria, like a wild ass alone by himself; Ephraim hath hired lovers.

For they have gone up [to] Asshur, A wild donkey alone by himself [is] Ephraim, They have hired lovers!

10 Yea, though they hire among the nations, now will I gather them up; and they begin to be minished by reason of the burden of king and princes.

Also though they hire among nations, Now I gather them, and they are pained a little, From the burden of a king of princes.

11 For Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, yea, altars have been unto him to sin.

Because Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, They have been to him altars to sin.

12 Though I write for him never so many things of My Law, they are accounted as a stranger's.

I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.

13 As for the sacrifices that are made by fire unto Me, let them sacrifice flesh and eat it, for the LORD accepteth them not. Now will He remember their iniquity, and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt.

The sacrifices of My offerings! They sacrifice flesh, and they eat, YHWH has not accepted them, Now He remembers their iniquity, And inspects their sin, They return [to] Egypt.

14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces, and Judah hath multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.

And Israel forgets his Maker, and builds temples, And Judah has multiplied cities of defense, And I have sent a fire into his cities, And it has consumed their palaces!”