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.
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 My Israeli people cry out to me, ‘Our God, we know that you are our God!’
To me will they then cry, My God, we, Israel, know thee.
3 But because the Israeli people have rejected what is good, their enemies will pursue them.
[But] Israel did reject the good; so let the enemy pursue him.
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 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 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?
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 [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.
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 [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 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 [The people of] Israel will be defeated [MET] [by their enemies]; they will be [scattered] among other nations and become worthless.
Swallowed up is Israel: now are they among the nations as a vessel without any value.
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 are needs gone up to Assyria, they who like a wild ass should dwell alone: Ephraim spendeth lovers' 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.
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 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 hath multiplied altars to sin, the altars have been unto him the means of sinning.
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 ever wrote down for him the great things of my law; but as a strange thing are they accounted.
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.
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 [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.”
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.
