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Israel Has Trusted Wrong Things

“Put the trumpet to your lips [C to warn of danger or call to battle]!
    The enemy ·swoops down on [or circles over] the Lord’s ·people [or temple; L house] like an eagle.
The Israelites have broken my ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
    and have ·turned [rebelled] against my ·teachings [law; L Torah].
Israel cries out to me,
    ‘Our God, we in Israel ·know [acknowledge] you!’
But Israel has rejected what is good,
    so the enemy will ·chase [pursue] them.
They ·chose their own [appointed; enthroned] kings
    ·without asking my permission [L but not from me].
They chose their own ·leaders [princes],
    people I did not ·know [acknowledge; approve].
They made their silver and gold into idols,
    and for all this they will be destroyed.
I ·hate [have rejected] ·the calf-shaped idol of Israel [L your calf, Samaria; Ex. 32; 1 Kin. 12:26–30]!
    ·I am very angry with the people [L My anger burns against them].
How long will they remain ·unclean [impure; guilty]?
The idol is something a craftsman made;
    it is not God.
·Israel’s calf-shaped idol [L The calf of Samaria; v. 5]
    will surely be smashed to pieces.

“·Israel’s foolish plans are like planting the wind [L They sow the wind],
    ·but they will harvest a storm [L and reap the whirlwind].
Like a stalk with no head of grain,
    it produces ·nothing [L no flour].
Even if it produced something,
    ·other nations [foreigners] would ·eat [devour] it.
Israel is ·eaten [swallowed] up;
    the people are ·mixed among [L among] the other nations
    and have become ·useless to me [a useless pot/utensil/vessel].
Israel is like a wild donkey ·all by itself [wandering alone].
    They have ·run [L gone up] to Assyria;
    ·They have hired other nations to protect them [L Ephraim has hired lovers; or Ephraim has sold herself to lovers].
10 Although Israel ·is mixed [or hired; or hired herself out] among the nations,
    I will gather them together.
They will ·become weaker and weaker [begin to waste away]
    ·as they suffer under [from the burden/oppression of] the ·great king of Assyria [L king of princes].

11 “Although ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] built more altars to remove sin,
    they have become altars for sinning.
12 I have written many ·teachings [laws; instructions] for them,
    but they think the teachings are ·strange and foreign [alien; irrelevant].
13 The Israelites offer sacrifices to me as gifts
    and eat the meat,
but the Lord ·is not pleased with [does not accept] them.
    He remembers ·the evil they have done [their wickedness/iniquity],
and he will punish them for their sins.
    They will ·be slaves again as they were in [L return to] Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten its Maker and has built palaces;
    Judah has built many ·strong, walled [fortified] cities.
But I will send fire on their cities
    and ·destroy [L it will devour/consume] their ·strong buildings [strongholds; citadels].”

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)