Hosea 8
1 “Put the shofar to your lips! Something like an eagle is over the LORD’s house, because they have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.
Let there be a trumpet in thy throat like an eagle upon the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and have violated my law.
2 They cry to me, ‘My God, we, Israel, acknowledge you!’
They shall call upon me: O my God, we, Israel, know thee.
3 Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.
Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, the enemy shall pursue him.
4 They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I didn’t approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off.
They have reigned, but not by me: they have been princes, and I knew not: of their silver, and their gold they have made idols to themselves, that they might perish.
5 Let Samaria throw out his calf idol! My anger burns against them! How long will it be until they are capable of purity?
Thy calf, O Samaria, is cast off, my wrath is kindled against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed?
6 For this is even from Israel! The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
For itself also is the invention of Israel: a workman made it, and it is no god: for the calf of Samaria shall be turned to spiders’ webs.
7 For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.
For they shall sow wind, and reap a whirlwind, there is no standing stalk in it, the bud shall yield no meal; and if it should yield, strangers shall eat it.
8 Israel is swallowed up. Now they are amongst the nations like a worthless thing.
Israel is swallowed up: now is he become among the nations like an unclean vessel.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for himself.
For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath given gifts to his lovers.
10 But although they sold themselves amongst the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.
But even though they shall have hired the nations, now will I gather them together: and they shall rest a while from the burden of the king, and the princes.
11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning.
Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin: altars are become to him unto sin.
12 I wrote for him the many things of my law, but they were regarded as a strange thing.
I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign.
13 As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the LORD doesn’t accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.
They shall offer victims, they shall sacrifice flesh, and shall eat it, and the Lord will not receive them: now will he remember their iniquity, and will visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.
14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire on his cities, and it will devour its fortresses.”
And Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and hath built temples: and Juda hath built many fenced cities: and I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the houses thereof.
