Hosea 8
1 [SET] the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle [he cometh] against the house of the LORD: because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
2 They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee.
Israel cries out to Me, “O our God, we know You!”
3 Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him.
But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him.
4 They have set up kings, but not by 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 set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction.
5 He hath cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?
He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?
6 For from Israel is even this; the workman made it, and it is no God: yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
For this thing is from Israel— a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.
7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: he hath no standing corn; the blade shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up: now are they among the nations as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
Israel is swallowed up! Now they are among the nations like a worthless vessel.
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 Assyria like a wild donkey on its own. Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 Yea, though they hire among the nations, now will I gather them; and they begin to be minished by reason of the burden of the king of princes.
Though they hire allies among the nations, I will now round them up, and they will begin to diminish under the oppression of the king of princes.
11 Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, altars have been unto him to sin.
Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.
12 Though I write for him my law in ten thousand [precepts], they are counted as a strange thing.
Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.
13 As for the sacrifices of mine offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not: now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.
14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.
Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has multiplied its fortified cities. But I will send fire upon their cities, and it will consume their citadels.
