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 your mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

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

Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know you.

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

Israel has cast off the thing that 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 princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, 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?

Your calf, O Samaria, has cast you off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be before 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 from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but 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 have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it has no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the 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: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

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

For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass 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 have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

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

Because Ephraim has made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

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

I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were 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.

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepts them not; now will he 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 builds temples; and Judah has multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.