Hosea
Chapter 8
1 Put the trumpet to your lips. An eagle swoops on God’s house because they broke my agreement and disobeyed my laws.
2 Israel will call out to me, “My God, we know you.”
3 Israel has rejected what is good; the enemy will chase after him.
4 They chose kings without my approval, made leaders I did not recognize, and from their silver and gold, they created idols to be destroyed.
5 Samaria, your calf has rejected you; I am angry with them. How long until they become innocent?
6 It came from Israel: a craftsman made it; so it’s not God. But the calf of Samaria will be smashed.
7 They planted wind and will get a storm; it won’t grow stalks, blooms won’t make flour: if it does yield, outsiders will eat it.
8 Israel is consumed; now they will be among the nations like an unwanted pot.
9 They have gone to Assyria, like a wild donkey alone: Ephraim has paid for partners.
10 Yes, even though they hired help from other nations, I will now bring them together, and they will feel some sadness because of the heavy demands of the king of leaders.
11 Because Ephraim has made many altars for sinning, these altars will become a way for him to sin.
12 I wrote to him about the important parts of my law, but they were seen as something odd.
13 They offer meat for my offerings and eat it, but God does not accept them; now he will remember their sins and punish them: they will go back to Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten God and built temples; Judah has built many strong cities, but I will set fire to these cities, and it will destroy their palaces.