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Israel’s Apostasy

Set the trumpet to your lips,
for[a] a vulture is over the house of the Lord,
because they have broken my covenant,
    and transgressed my law.
To me they cry,
    My God, we Israel know thee.
Israel has spurned the good;
    the enemy shall pursue him.

They made kings, but not through me.
    They set up princes, but without my knowledge.
With their silver and gold they made idols
    for their own destruction.
I have[b] spurned your calf, O Samar′ia.
    My anger burns against them.
How long will it be
    till they are pure in Israel?[c]

A workman made it;
    it is not God.
The calf of Samar′ia
    shall be broken to pieces.[d]

For they sow the wind,
    and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads,
    it shall yield no meal;
if it were to yield,
    aliens would devour it.
Israel is swallowed up;
    already they are among the nations
    as a useless vessel.
For they have gone up to Assyria,
    a wild ass wandering alone;
    E′phraim has hired lovers.
10 Though they hire allies among the nations,
    I will soon gather them up.
And they shall cease[e] for a little while
    from anointing[f] king and princes.

11 Because E′phraim has multiplied altars for sinning,
    they have become to him altars for sinning.
12 Were I to write for him my laws by ten thousands,
    they would be regarded as a strange thing.
13 They love sacrifice;[g]
    they sacrifice flesh and eat it;
    but the Lord has no delight in them.
Now he will remember their iniquity,
    and punish their sins;
    they shall return to Egypt.
14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker,
    and built palaces;
and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;
    but I will send a fire upon his cities,
    and it shall devour his strongholds.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:1 Cn: Heb as
  2. Hosea 8:5 Heb He has
  3. Hosea 8:6 Gk: Heb for from Israel
  4. Hosea 8:6 Or shall go up in flames
  5. Hosea 8:10 Gk: Heb begin
  6. Hosea 8:10 Gk: Heb burden
  7. Hosea 8:13 Cn: Heb uncertain

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

“Put the trumpet(A) to your lips!
    An eagle(B) is over the house of the Lord
because the people have broken my covenant(C)
    and rebelled against my law.(D)
Israel cries out to me,
    ‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’
But Israel has rejected what is good;
    an enemy will pursue him.(E)
They set up kings without my consent;
    they choose princes without my approval.(F)
With their silver and gold
    they make idols(G) for themselves
    to their own destruction.
Samaria, throw out your calf-idol!(H)
    My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity?(I)
    They are from Israel!
This calf—a metalworker has made it;
    it is not God.(J)
It will be broken in pieces,
    that calf(K) of Samaria.(L)

“They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.(M)
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.(N)
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.(O)
Israel is swallowed up;(P)
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.(Q)
For they have gone up to Assyria(R)
    like a wild donkey(S) wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.(T)
10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.(U)
They will begin to waste away(V)
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

11 “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
    these have become altars for sinning.(W)
12 I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.(X)
13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me,
    and though they eat(Y) the meat,
    the Lord is not pleased with them.(Z)
Now he will remember(AA) their wickedness
    and punish their sins:(AB)
    They will return to Egypt.(AC)
14 Israel has forgotten(AD) their Maker(AE)
    and built palaces;
    Judah has fortified many towns.
But I will send fire on their cities
    that will consume their fortresses.”(AF)