Hosea 8
1 “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.
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 To Me they cry, My God, we—Israel—have known You.
To me will they then cry, My God, we, Israel, know thee.
3 Israel has cast off good, an enemy pursues him.
[But] Israel did reject the good; so let the enemy pursue him.
4 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.
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 Your calf has cast off, O Samaria, My anger has burned against them; Until when are they not capable of purity?
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 For even it [is] of Israel; a craftsman made it, And it [is] not God, For the calf of Samaria is fragments!
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 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.
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 has been swallowed up, Now they have been among nations, As a vessel in which is no delight.
Swallowed up is Israel: now are they among the nations as a vessel without any value.
9 For they have gone up [to] Asshur, A wild donkey alone by himself [is] Ephraim, They have hired lovers!
For they are needs gone up to Assyria, they who like a wild ass should dwell alone: Ephraim spendeth lovers' gifts.
10 Also though they hire among nations, Now I gather them, and they are pained a little, From the burden of a king of princes.
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 Because Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, They have been to him altars to sin.
Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, the altars have been unto him the means of sinning.
12 I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.
I ever wrote down for him the great things of my law; but as a strange thing are they accounted.
13 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.
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 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!”
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.
