Hosea 8
1 Put the horn to your mouth! An eagle swoops down upon the house of the Lord because they have transgressed my covenant, trespassed against my law.
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.
2 To me they continually cry, “My God, we Israel, we know you!”
Israel calls out to me, “Our God, we know you!”
3 But Israel has spurned that which is good, so let the foe pursue him.
But Israel has rejected what is good. An enemy will chase after them.
4 They themselves have made kings but without my consent. They have made princes but without my knowledge. Out of their silver and gold, they have made idols to their destruction!
They appointed kings without my consent and chose princes without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.
5 Your calf idol, O Samaria, is distasteful. My anger is kindled against them. How long will they escape punishment?
Samaria, I reject this calf idol you have made! My anger burns against them! How long will you be incapable of being good?
6 Israel made the thing: a workman made it. It is not a god! Samaria’s calf will become mere splinters.
This idol is from Israel! A craftsman made it—it's not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces!
7 They sow the wind and will reap the whirlwind. A shoot which has no stalk, yields no fruit If it should yield, strangers would devour it.
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.
8 Israel is devoured. Already it lies discarded among the nations like a worthless pot.
Israel is swallowed up; among the nations they are like something nobody wants.
9 For by themselves they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey which wanders by itself. Ephraim pays for love
They have gone up to Assyria like a donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 but even if they sell themselves among the nations, I will round them up. Soon the kings and princes will writhe under the burden of tribute!
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.
11 For as many altars as Ephraim has erected, they are to him altars for sinning,
Though Ephraim built many altars to make sin offerings, they instead became altars of sin!
12 were I to write for him ever so many instructions, they would be regarded as from a stranger.
I wrote down for them the many aspects of my law, but they looked on them as foreign.
13 The people love sacrifice, and so they offer sacrifices, meat, and so they eat it, although the Lord is not pleased with them, so now he will remember their guilt, and punish their sins. Back to Egypt with them!
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.
14 For Israel forgot his Maker and built palaces, and Judah multiplied fortified cities. But I will send fire upon her cities, and it will devour her strongholds.
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.
