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.
To thy mouth, with a horn! Like an eagle, on the house of Yahweh, —because they have violated my covenant, and, against my law, have they transgressed.
2 My Israeli people cry out to me, ‘Our God, we know that you are our God!’
Unto me, shall they make outcry, My God! we acknowledge thee—[we], Israel!
3 But because the Israeli people have rejected what is good, their enemies will pursue them.
Israel hath cast away what is good, —an enemy, shall 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, have appointed kings, but not from me, have made rulers, but I have not acknowledged them: of their silver and their gold, they made themselves idols, to the end they might 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?
He hath cast away thy calf, O Samaria, kindled is mine anger upon them, —How long shall they not endure to be innocent?
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, of Israel, is even that thing! A craftsman, made it, and, a No-god, it is! For, into fragments, shall the Calf of Samaria be broken.
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, to the wind, they sow, and, to the whirlwind, they reap: stalk, hath it none, That which shooteth forth, shall yield no meal, If so be it yield, foreigners, swallow it lip,
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, have they gone among the nations, like a vessel in which no man taketh, delight.
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 Assyria, A wild ass going alone for himself, is Ephraim! They have hired lovers!
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.
Even though they hire them among the nations, at once, will I gather them, when they have begun to be diminished by reason of the burden of the king of rulers.
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 sinfully, they have become to him the altars of sin.
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 have been wont to write for him the myriad things of my law, —Like something alien, have they been 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 gifts, have they been sacrificing as [common] flesh, and have eaten, Yahweh, hath not accepted them, —Now, will he call to mind their iniquity, that he may punish their sin, they, to Egypt, will return.
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 so Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and hath built temples, and, Judah, hath multiplied fortified cities, —Therefore will I send a fire upon his cities, and it shall consume the palaces thereof.
