Hosea 8
1 Let there be a trumpet in your throat, like an eagle over the house of the Lord, on behalf of those who have transgressed my covenant and violated my law.
Set the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle he comes against the house of Jehovah, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
2 They will call on me: “O my God, we, Israel, know you.”
They shall cry to me, My God, we, Israel know thee.
3 Israel has thrown away goodness; the enemy will overtake him.
Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy shall pursue him.
4 They have reigned, but not by me. Leaders have emerged, and I did not recognize them. Their silver and their gold, they have made into idols for themselves, so that they might cross over.
They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made rulers, and I knew it not. They have made themselves idols of their silver and their gold, that they may be cut off.
5 Your calf, Samaria, has been rejected. My fury has been enraged against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed?
He has cast off thy calf, O Samaria. My anger is kindled against them. How long will it be ere they attain to innocence?
6 For it is itself also from Israel: a workman made it, and it is not God. For the calf of Samaria will be used for the webs of spiders.
For even this is from Israel: the workman made it, and it is no God. Yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
7 For they will sow wind and reap a whirlwind. It does not have a firm stalk; the bud will yield no grain. But if it does yield, strangers will eat it.
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The blade shall yield no meal. If so be it yields, strangers shall swallow it up.
8 Israel has been devoured. Now, among the nations, it has become like an unclean vessel.
Israel is swallowed up. They are now among the nations as a vessel in which no man delights.
9 For they have gone up to Assur, a wild ass alone by himself. Ephraim has given presents to his lovers.
For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey alone by himself. Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 But even when they will have brought the nations together for the sake of money, now I will assemble them. And they will rest for a little while from the burden of the king and the leaders.
Yea, though they hire among the nations, I will now gather them, and they shall begin to be diminished because of the burden of the king of rulers.
11 For Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, and sanctuaries have become an offense for him.
Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, altars have been to him for sinning.
12 I will write to him my intricate laws, which have been treated like strangers.
I wrote for him the multitude of my law, but they are counted as a strange thing.
13 They will offer victims, they will immolate flesh and will eat, and the Lord will not accept them. For now he will remember their iniquity, and he will repay their sins: they will be turned back to Egypt.
As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it, but Jehovah does not accept them. He will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. They shall return to Egypt.
14 And Israel has forgotten his Maker and has built shrines. And Judah has increased its fortified cities. And I will send fire upon his cities, and it will devour its structures.
For Israel has forgotten his maker, and built palaces. And Judah has multiplied fortified cities. But I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.
