Hosea 8

Israel Reaps the Whirlwind

11Put the trumpet to your 2lips! 3Like an eagle the enemy comes 4against the house of the Lord, Because they have 5violated My covenant And rebelled against My 6Law.27They cry out to Me, “My God, 8we of Israel know You!”3Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.49They have set up kings, but not by Me; They have appointed officials, but I did not know it. With their 10silver and gold they have made idols for themselves, So that 11they will be eliminated.512He has rejected your 13calf, Samaria, saying, “My anger burns against them!” How long will they be incapable of 14innocence?6For from Israel comes even this! A 15craftsman made it, so it is not God; Assuredly, the calf of Samaria will be broken to 16pieces.7For 17they sow wind And they harvest a 18storm. The standing grain has no 19kernels; It yields 20no 21grain. If it were to yield, strangers would swallow it.

8Israel has been 22swallowed up; They are now among the nations Like a 23vessel in which no one delights.9For they have gone up to 24Assyria, Like 25a wild donkey all alone; Ephraim has 26paid fees for 27lovers.10Even though they 28pay for allies among the nations, I will 29gather them up now; And they will begin 30to diminish Because of the burden of the 31king of officials.

11Since Ephraim has 32multiplied altars for sin, They have become altars of sinning for him.12Though 33I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My 34Law, They are regarded as a strange thing.13As for My 35sacrificial gifts, They 36sacrifice the flesh and eat it, But the Lord has taken no delight in them. Now He will 37remember their guilt, And 38punish them for their sins; They will return to 39Egypt.14For Israel has 40forgotten his Maker and 41built palaces; And Judah has multiplied fortified cities, But I will send a 42fire on its cities, and it will consume its palatial buildings.