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.

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

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

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

3 Israel has cast off good, an enemy pursues him.

Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will 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 have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I didn’t approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but Yahweh doesn’t accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will 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 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.”