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 ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.

²Israel cries out to Me, “O our God, we know You!”

³But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him.

⁴They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction.

⁵He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?

⁶For this thing is from Israel— a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.

⁷For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up.

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

⁹For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey on its own. Ephraim has hired lovers.

¹⁰Though they hire allies among the nations, I will now round them up, and they will begin to diminish under the oppression of the king of princes.

¹¹Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.

¹²Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.

¹³Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.

¹⁴Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has multiplied its fortified cities. But I will send fire upon their cities, and it will consume their citadels.