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.
“Place a trumpet at your lips! An eagle is coming over the house of Yahweh because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.
2 My Israeli people cry out to me, ‘Our God, we know that you are our God!’
They cry out to me, 'My God, we in Israel know you.'
3 But because the Israeli people have rejected what is good, their enemies will pursue them.
But Israel has rejected what is good, and the enemy will 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 set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves, but it was only so 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?
“Your calf has been rejected, Samaria. My anger is burning against these people. For how long will they stay guilty?
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 this idol came from Israel; a workman made it; it is not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.
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 people sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it yields no flour. If it does come to maturity, foreigners will 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 they lie among the nations like something useless.
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 went up to Assyria like a wild donkey all alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for herself.
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 have hired lovers among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to waste away because of the oppression 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.
For Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin offerings, but they have become altars for committing sins instead.
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 could write down my law for them ten thousand times, but they would view it as something strange to them.
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.
As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but I, Yahweh, do not accept them. Now I will think about their iniquity and punish their sins. They will 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.”
Israel has forgotten me, his Maker, and has built palaces. Judah has fortified many cities, but I will send fire on his cities; it will destroy his fortresses.
