< Hosea 8 >

1 Put 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.
[Set] the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle [he cometh] against the house of Jehovah, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
2 They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.
They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee.
3 Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.
Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him.
4 They 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.
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 them idols, that they may be cut off.
5 I 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?
He hath cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?
6 The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.
For from Israel is even this; the workman made it, and it is no God; yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
7 For 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.
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: he hath no standing grain; the blade shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.
8 Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.
Israel is swallowed up: now are they among the nations as a vessel wherein none delighteth.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.
For they are gone up to Assyria, [like] a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
10 But 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.
Yea, though they hire among the nations, now will I gather them; and they begin to be diminished by reason of the burden of the king of princes.
11 Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.
Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars for sinning, altars have been unto him for sinning.
12 Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.
I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law; but they are counted as a strange thing.
13 He 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.
As for the sacrifices of mine offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it; but Jehovah accepteth them not: now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
14 For 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.
For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces; and Judah hath multiplied fortified cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.

< Hosea 8 >