Hosea 8
1 Put the horn to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of the Lord; because they have gone against my agreement, they have not kept my law.
[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.
2 They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.
They shall soon cry out to me, [saying], O God, we know thee.
3 Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.
For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy.
4 They have put up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, but I had no knowledge of it; they have made images of silver and gold, so that they may be cut off.
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.
5 I will have nothing to do with your young ox, O Samaria; my wrath is burning against them; how long will it be before the children of Israel make themselves clean?
Cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be unable to purge themselves in Israel?
6 The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.
Whereas the workman made it, and it is not God; wherefore thy calf, Samaria, was a deceiver:
7 For they have been planting the wind, and their fruit will be the storm; his grain has no stem, it will give no meal, and if it does, a strange nation will take it.
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.
8 Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.
Israel is swallowed up: now is he become among the nations as a worthless vessel.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.
For they have gone up to the Assyrians: Ephraim has been strengthened against himself; they loved gifts.
10 But though they give money to the nations for help, still I will send them in all directions; and in a short time they will be without a king and rulers.
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.
11 Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.
Because Ephraim has multiplied altars, [his] beloved altars are become sins to him.
12 Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.
I will write down a multitude [of commands] for him; but his statutes are accounted strange things, [even] the beloved altars.
13 He gives the offerings of his lovers, and takes the flesh for food; but the Lord has no pleasure in them; now he will keep in mind their evil-doing and give them the punishment of their sins; they will go back to Egypt.
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.
14 For Israel has no memory of his Maker, and has put up the houses of kings; and Judah has made great the number of his walled towns. But I will send a fire on his towns and put an end to his great houses.
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.
