Hosea 8

1 'Unto thy mouth — a trumpet, As an eagle against the house of Jehovah, Because they transgressed My covenant, And against My law they have rebelled.

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 To Me they cry, 'My God, we — Israel — have known Thee.'

They shall cry to me, My God, we, Israel know thee.

3 Cast off good hath Israel, an enemy pursueth him.

Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy shall pursue him.

4 They have made kings, and not by Me, They have made princes, and I have not known, Their silver and their gold they have made to them idols, So that they are cut off.

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 Cast off hath thy calf, O Samaria, Burned hath Mine anger against them, Till when are they not capable of purity?

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 even it [is] of Israel; an artificer made it, And it [is] not God, For the calf of Samaria is fragments!

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 wind they sow, and a hurricane they reap, Stalk it hath none — a shoot not yielding grain, If so be it yield — strangers do swallow it up.

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 hath been swallowed up, Now they have been among nations, As a vessel in which is no delight.

Israel is swallowed up. They are now among the nations as a vessel in which no man delights.

9 For they — they have gone up [to] Asshur, A wild ass alone by himself [is] Ephraim, They have hired lovers!

For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey alone by himself. Ephraim has hired lovers.

10 Also though they hire among nations, Now I gather them, and they are pained a little, From the burden of a king of princes.

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 Because Ephraim did multiply altars to sin, They have been to him altars to sin.

Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, altars have been to him for sinning.

12 I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.

I wrote for him the multitude of my law, but they are counted as a strange thing.

13 The sacrifices of Mine offerings! They sacrifice flesh, and they eat, Jehovah hath not accepted them, Now doth He remember their iniquity, And inspect their sin, They — [to] Egypt they turn back.

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 forget doth Israel his Maker, and buildeth temples, And Judah hath multiplied cities of defence, And I have sent a fire into his cities, And it hath consumed their palaces!

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.