Hosea 8

¹ Put the trumpet to your lips like a watchman on duty at the house of Yahweh, because they have violated my covenant and rebelled against my Law.

² Useless now to shout, ‘God of Israel, we acknowledge you’.

³ Israel has rejected the good; the enemy[*a] will hunt him down.

⁴ They have set up kings, but not with my consent, and appointed princes, but without my knowledge. Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols, which are doomed to destruction.

⁵ I spurn your calf, Samaria, my anger blazes against it. (How long will it be before they purge themselves of this,

⁶ the sons of Israel?) A workman made the thing, this cannot be God! Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.

⁷ They sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind; their wheat will yield no ear, the ear will yield no flour, or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it.

⁸ Israel himself has been swallowed, and is destined now to stay among the nations like a crock that no one wants,

⁹ for making approaches to Assyria – that wild ass living alone. Ephraim is renting lovers.

¹⁰ Right; let them rent them among the nations, I am going to disperse them this minute; that will soon put a stop to their anointing kings and leaders.

¹¹ Ephraim has built altar after altar, they have only served him as occasion for sin.

¹² Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my Law for him, they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.

¹³ They love sacrificing; right, let them sacrifice! They love meat; right, let them eat it! Yahweh takes no pleasure in these. He is now going to remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they will have to go back to Egypt.

¹⁴ Israel has forgotten his Maker and has built palaces; Judah has built fortified town after fortified town; right, I will rain fire on his towns, it will devour his palaces.