Hosea 8

1Let there be a trumpet in thy throat like an eagle upon the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and have violated my law.

1Put 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.

2They shall call upon me: O my God, we, Israel, know thee.

2They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.

3Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, the enemy shall pursue him.

3Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.

4They have reigned, but not by me: they have been princes, and I knew not: of their silver and their gold they have made idols to themselves, that they might perish.

4They 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.

5Thy calf, O Samaria, is cast off, my wrath is kindled against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed?

5I 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?

6For itself also is the invention of Israel: a workman made it, and it is no god: for the calf of Samaria shall be turned to spiders' webs.

6The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.

7For they shall sow wind, and reap a whirlwind, there is no standing stalk in it, the bud shall yield no meal; and if it should yield, strangers shall eat it.

7For 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.

8Israel is swallowed up: now is he become among the nations like an unclean vessel.

8Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.

9For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath given gifts to his lovers.

9For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.

10But even though they shall have hired the nations, now will I gather them together: and they shall rest a while from the burden of the king, and the princes.

10But 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.

11Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin: altars are become to him unto sin.

11Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.

12I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign.

12Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.

13They shall offer victims, they shall sacrifice flesh, and shall eat it, and the Lord will not receive them: now will he remember their iniquity, and will visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

13He 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.

14And Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and hath built temples: and Juda hath built many fenced cities: and I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the houses thereof.

14For 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.