Hosea 8
1 'Unto thy mouth — a trumpet, As an eagle against the house of Jehovah, Because they transgressed My covenant, And against My law they have rebelled.
Put the trumpet to thy mouth! Like an eagle cometh an enemy against the house of Jehovah, Because they have transgressed my covenant, And have rebelled against my law.
2 To Me they cry, 'My God, we — Israel — have known Thee.'
They shall say to me, My God, we know thee, we, thine Israel!
3 Cast off good hath Israel, an enemy pursueth him.
Israel hath cast away what is good; The enemy shall pursue him.
4 They have made kings, and not by Me, They have made princes, and I have not known, Their silver and their gold they have made to them idols, So that they are cut off.
They have set up kings, but not by me; They have made princes, and I knew it not. Of their silver and their gold have they made themselves idols, That they may be brought to destruction.
5 Cast off hath thy calf, O Samaria, Burned hath Mine anger against them, Till when are they not capable of purity?
An abomination is thy calf, O Samaria! Mine anger is kindled against them; How long will it be ere they can attain to purity!
6 For even it [is] of Israel; an artificer made it, And it [is] not God, For the calf of Samaria is fragments!
For from Israel it came; The workman made it, and it is no God; Yea, into fragments shall the calf of Samaria be broken.
7 For wind they sow, and a hurricane they reap, Stalk it hath none — a shoot not yielding grain, If so be it yield — strangers do swallow it up.
They have sown the wind, And they shall reap the whirlwind. They shall have no standing harvest; The ear shall yield no meal; If perchance it yield, strangers shall devour it.
8 Israel hath been swallowed up, Now they have been among nations, As a vessel in which is no delight.
Israel is swallowed up; Soon shall they become among the nations As a vessel which no one desireth.
9 For they — they have gone up [to] Asshur, A wild ass alone by himself [is] Ephraim, They have hired lovers!
For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a solitary wild-ass; Ephraim hireth lovers;
10 Also though they hire among nations, Now I gather them, and they are pained a little, From the burden of a king of princes.
But though they hire among the nations, Soon will I gather the nations against them; Then shall they rest a little while from the burden of their king, and their princes!
11 Because Ephraim did multiply altars to sin, They have been to him altars to sin.
Ephraim hath built many altars for sin, Therefore shall he have altars for sin.
12 I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.
Though I write for him many laws, They are accounted as a strange thing;
13 The sacrifices of Mine offerings! They sacrifice flesh, and they eat, Jehovah hath not accepted them, Now doth He remember their iniquity, And inspect their sin, They — [to] Egypt they turn back.
As to the sacrifices which they should offer me, they slay flesh and eat it; Jehovah hath no pleasure in them. Now will he remember their iniquity, And punish their sins; To Egypt shall they return.
14 And forget doth Israel his Maker, and buildeth temples, And Judah hath multiplied cities of defence, And I have sent a fire into his cities, And it hath consumed their palaces!
For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces, And Judah hath multiplied fenced cities; But I will send a fire upon his cities, And it shall devour his palaces.
