Hosea 8

1 [Yahweh said to me], “Blow [MTY] your trumpet [to warn the people]! My people have rejected the agreement that I made with them, and they have rebelled against [obeying] my laws. Therefore, [their enemies] are swooping down on my people’s country like [SIM] an eagle.

[He shall come] into their midst as the land, as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and have sinned against my law.

2 My Israeli people cry out to me, ‘Our God, we know that you are our God!’

They shall soon cry out to me, [saying], O God, we know you.

3 But because the Israeli people have rejected what is good, their enemies will pursue them.

For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy.

4 The Israel people appointed [their last three] kings, but they did not ask me if I agreed to [what they were doing]. They chose their own leaders without asking if I would approve of them. They used their own silver and gold to make for themselves idols, and doing that led them to be destroyed.

They have made kings for themselves, but not by me: they have ruled, but they did not make it known to me: [of] their silver and their gold they have made images to themselves, that they might be destroyed.

5 You people of Samaria, throw away your [idol that resembles a] calf! I am extremely angry with you people! How long [RHQ] will you [do things that cause] you to be unacceptable to me?

Cast off your calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be unable to purge themselves in Israel?

6 [Someone in] Israel made that idol for you; [but I am] God and it is not. So that idol of a calf in Samaria must be smashed to pieces.

Whereas the workman made it, and it is not God; therefore your calf, Samaria, was a deceiver:

7 [The foolish thing that the people of Israel have done is like] [MET] trying to plant wind; but what they harvest will be like [MET] a whirlwind. So the grain that they planted will have no heads [on the stalks], and as a result [there will be no grain] from which to make flour. And if it did produce good grain, foreigners would [come and] steal it.

for they sowed blighted [seed], and their destruction shall await them, a sheaf of corn that avails not to make meal; and even if it should produce it, strangers shall devour it.

8 [The people of] Israel will be defeated [MET] [by their enemies]; they will be [scattered] among other nations and become worthless.

Israel is swallowed up: now is he become amongst the nations as a worthless vessel.

9 Like [MET] donkeys that are looking for mates, they have requested [help] from Assyria; they paid money to [the leaders of Assyria] in order to [persuade those leaders to] protect them.

For they have gone up to the Assyrians: Ephraim has been strengthened against himself; they loved gifts.

10 But although they have agreed to pay money each year to [the leaders of] those countries, I will soon gather them together [to punish them]. The great King [of Assyria] will cause them to suffer greatly.

Therefore shall they be delivered to the nations: now I will receive them, and they shall cease a little to anoint a king and princes.

11 Although [the people of] Israel built many altars to present offerings [to their idols] to take away [their guilt for] sinning, those altars have become places where they commit [more] sins.

Because Ephraim has multiplied altars, [his] beloved altars are become sins to him.

12 I wrote many laws for them, but they disregarded them, saying that [they did not have to obey them because] they were different from laws that they had known previously.

I will write down a multitude [of commands] for him; but his statutes are accounted strange things, [even] the beloved altars.

13 They offer sacrifices to me, and they eat [some of] the meat of those sacrifices, [which is what I permitted them to do]. But I, Yahweh, am not pleased with those sacrifices. I remember the evil things that they have done, and I will punish them for the sins that they have committed: I will force them to [go to other countries] [and become slaves like they were] [MET] in Egypt.

For if they should offer a sacrifice, and eat flesh, the lord will not accept them: now will he remember their iniquities, and will take vengeance on their sins: they have returned to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things amongst the Assyrians.

14 [The people of] Israel have abandoned/forgotten me, the one who created their [nation]; they have built palaces, and [the people of] Judah have built walls around many towns. But I will send a fire that will destroy all their cities and their fortresses.”

And Israel has forgotten him that made him, and they have built fanes, and Juda has multiplied walled cities: but I will send fire on his cities, and it shall devour their foundations.