Hosea 8

¹Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

²Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.

³Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

⁴They 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 them idols, that they may be cut off.

⁵Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

⁶For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

⁷For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

⁸Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

⁹For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

¹⁰Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

¹¹Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

¹²I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

¹³They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

¹⁴For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

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.