Osee 8

1 [He shall come] into their midst as the land, as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and have sinned against my law.

Put a trumpet to your lips! An eagle swoops over the house of the Lord because they have broken my agreement and rebelled against my law.

2 They shall soon cry out to me, [saying], O God, we know you.

Israel calls out to me, “Our God, we know you!”

3 For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy.

But Israel has rejected what is good. An enemy will chase after them.

4 They have made kings for themselves, but not by me: they have ruled, but they did not make it known to me: [of] their silver and their gold they have made images to themselves, that they might be destroyed.

They appointed kings without my consent and chose princes without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

5 Cast off your calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be unable to purge themselves in Israel?

Samaria, I reject this calf idol you have made! My anger burns against them! How long will you be incapable of being good?

6 Whereas the workman made it, and it is not God; therefore your calf, Samaria, was a deceiver:

This idol is from Israel! A craftsman made it—it's not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces!

7 for they sowed blighted [seed], and their destruction shall await them, a sheaf of corn that avails not to make meal; and even if it should produce it, strangers shall devour it.

Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head of grain; it will produce no flour. Even if it did produce grain, foreigners would swallow it all up.

8 Israel is swallowed up: now is he become among the nations as a worthless vessel.

Israel is swallowed up; among the nations they are like something nobody wants.

9 For they have gone up to the Assyrians: Ephraim has been strengthened against himself; they loved gifts.

They have gone up to Assyria like a donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.

10 Therefore shall they be delivered to the nations: now I will receive them, and they shall cease a little to anoint a king and princes.

Even though they have hired allies among the nations, I will gather them together. Then they will writhe under the burden of the great king.

11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars, [his] beloved altars are become sins to him.

Though Ephraim built many altars to make sin offerings, they instead became altars of sin!

12 I will write down a multitude [of commands] for him; but his statutes are accounted strange things, [even] the beloved altars.

I wrote down for them the many aspects of my law, but they looked on them as foreign.

13 For if they should offer a sacrifice, and eat flesh, the lord will not accept them: now will he remember their iniquities, and will take vengeance on their sins: they have returned to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things among the Assyrians.

They present me with their sacrifices, and they eat the meat, but I the Lord do not accept them. Now he will remember their wickedness, and punish them for their sins. They will return to Egypt.

14 And Israel has forgotten him that made him, and they have built fanes, and Juda has multiplied walled cities: but I will send fire on his cities, and it shall devour their foundations.

Israel has forgotten his maker, and built palaces; Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will rain fire down on their cities and burn up their fortresses.