Hosea 8

¹Put the horn to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of the Lord; because they have gone against my agreement, they have not kept my law.

²They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.

³Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.

⁴They have put up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, but I had no knowledge of it; they have made images of silver and gold, so that they may be cut off.

⁵I will have nothing to do with your young ox, O Samaria; my wrath is burning against them; how long will it be before the children of Israel make themselves clean?

⁶The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.

⁷For they have been planting the wind, and their fruit will be the storm; his grain has no stem, it will give no meal, and if it does, a strange nation will take it.

⁸Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.

⁹For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.

¹⁰But though they give money to the nations for help, still I will send them in all directions; and in a short time they will be without a king and rulers.

¹¹Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.

¹²Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.

¹³He gives the offerings of his lovers, and takes the flesh for food; but the Lord has no pleasure in them; now he will keep in mind their evil-doing and give them the punishment of their sins; they will go back to Egypt.

¹⁴For Israel has no memory of his Maker, and has put up the houses of kings; and Judah has made great the number of his walled towns. But I will send a fire on his towns and put an end to his great houses.

Hosea 8

¹"Put the trumpet to your lips! Something like an eagle is over the Lord's house, because they have broken my covenant, and rebelled against my law.

²They cry to me, 'My God, we Israel acknowledge you!'

³Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.

⁴They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I did not approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off.

⁵Let Samaria throw out his calf idol! My anger burns against them! How long will it be until they are capable of purity?

⁶For this is even from Israel! The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

⁷For 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.

⁸Israel is swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like a worthless thing.

⁹For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for himself.

¹⁰But although they sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.

¹¹Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning.

¹²I wrote for him the many things of my law; but they were regarded as a strange thing.

¹³As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice flesh 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.

¹⁴For 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."