Hosea 8
1“Place a trumpet at your lips! 1 An eagle is coming over the house of Yahweh 1 because the people have broken my covenant 1 and rebelled against my law. 1
2They cry out to me, 1 'My God, we in Israel know you.' 1
3But Israel has rejected what is good, 1 and the enemy will pursue him. 1
4They have set up kings, 1 but not by me. 1 They have made princes, 1 but without my knowledge. 1 With their silver and gold 1 they have made idols for themselves, 1 but it was only so they might be cut off.” 1
5“Your calf has been rejected, Samaria. 1 My anger is burning against these people. 1 For how long will they stay guilty? 1
6For this idol came from Israel; 1 a workman made it; 1 it is not God! 1 The calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces. 1
7For the people sow the wind 1 and reap the whirlwind. 1 The standing grain has no heads; 1 it yields no flour. 1 If it does come to maturity, 1 foreigners will devour it. 1
8Israel is swallowed up; 1 now they lie among the nations like something useless. 1
9For they went up to Assyria 1 like a wild donkey all alone. 1 Ephraim has hired lovers for herself. 1
10Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, 1 I will now gather them together. 1 They will begin to waste away 1 because of the oppression of the king of princes. 1
11For Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin offerings, 1 but they have become altars for committing sins instead. 1
12I could write down my law for them ten thousand times, 1 but they would view it as something strange to them. 1
13As for the sacrifices of my offerings, 1 they sacrifice meat and eat it, 1 but I, Yahweh, do not accept them. 1 Now I will think about their iniquity 1 and punish their sins. 1 They will return to Egypt. 1
14Israel has forgotten me, his Maker, 1 and has built palaces. 1 Judah has fortified many cities, 1 but I will send fire on his cities; 1 it will destroy his fortresses.