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The Israelites worship idols instead of the Lord

8 The Lord says, ‘Warn the people of danger!
My people have not obeyed the covenant that I made with them.
They have refused to obey my laws.
So an enemy army will come to attack their land,
like an eagle that is ready to fly down and catch them. [ a ]
2 Israel's people call out to me for help.
They say, “We know you as our God.”
3 But they have refused to do what is good and right.
So their enemies will chase after them.

4 My people chose kings to rule them,
but they did not ask me about it.
They chose people to lead them, but I did not agree.
They used their silver and their gold
to make idols for themselves.
But that will destroy them in the end.
5 People of Samaria, you have made an image of a calf as your idol. [ b ]
But I hate that idol!
I am very angry with the Israelites.
How much longer will it be before I have to punish them?
6 That idol is not a true god!
An Israelite worker with special skills made it.
Samaria's idol of a calf will break into pieces!

7 Like a farmer, Israel's people have planted the wind.
So their harvest will be a strong storm!
The crops that grow in their fields will not have any grain.
So they will not be able to make flour for bread.
Even if the crops do make some grain,
foreign people will take it for themselves.
8 Israel will become lost among the other nations.
It will be like a useless pot that nobody needs.

9 Israel's rulers have gone to Assyria for help.
They are like a wild donkey that goes here and there.
Ephraim's people have paid money to get help from other nations. [ c ]
as if they are paying for lovers.
10 Yes, they have paid money to get friends who will help them.
But I will soon bring them together to punish them.
A great king will be cruel to them and they will receive much pain. [ d ]

11 Ephraim's people have built many altars to make sin offerings.
But the altars have become places where the people do even more sins! [ e ]
12 I carefully explained my laws to my people.
But they do not accept my laws as their own.
13 Israel's people offer sacrifices to me,
and they eat the meat from those sacrifices.
But their sacrifices do not please me.
I know that they are guilty of wicked things.
Soon I will punish them for their sins.
They will have to return to Egypt.
14 Israel's people have built beautiful palaces.
But they have forgotten me, who made them into a nation!
Judah's people have built many strong cities.
But I will send fire to destroy their cities and their strong buildings.’

Footnotes

  1. 8:1 An eagle is a big, dangerous bird.
  2. 8:5 Samaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom, Israel.
  3. 8:9 Ephraim is another name for the northern kingdom, Israel.
  4. 8:10 The great king is the King of Assyria.
  5. 8:11 The covenant said that there should be only one altar. The people in Israel had built many altars. The altars should have been places where people asked God to forgive them for their sins. But instead, they became places where the people did bad things.

Idol Worship Leads to Destruction

8 “Put the trumpet to your lips and give the warning. Be like an eagle over the Lord ’s house. [ a ] The Israelites have broken my agreement. They have not obeyed my law. 2 They yell out at me, ‘My God, we in Israel know you!’ 3 But Israel refused the good things, so the enemy chases him. 4 The Israelites chose their kings, but they didn’t come to me for advice. They chose leaders, but they didn’t choose men I knew. The Israelites used their silver and gold to make idols for themselves, so they will be destroyed. 5-6 He has refused your calf, Samaria. [ b ] God says, ‘I am very angry with the Israelites.’ The people of Israel will be punished for their sin. Some worker made those statues. They are not God. Samaria’s calf will be broken into pieces. 7 The Israelites did a foolish thing—it was like trying to plant the wind. But they will get only troubles—they will harvest a whirlwind. The grain in the fields will grow, but it will give no food. Even if it grew something, strangers would eat it.

8 “Israel was destroyed;
its people are scattered among the nations,
like some dish that was thrown away because no one wanted it.
9 Ephraim went to his ‘lovers.’ [ c ]
Like a stubborn donkey, they led him off to Assyria.
10 Yes, Israel was taken to the nations,
but I will bring them back.
But first, they must suffer a little
by carrying the burden of that mighty king.

Israel Forgets God and Worships Idols

11 “Ephraim built more and more altars,
and that was a sin.
They have been altars of sin for Ephraim.
12 Even if I wrote 10,000 laws for Ephraim,
he would treat them as if they were for some stranger.
13 The Israelites love sacrifices. [ d ]
They offer the meat and eat it.
The Lord does not accept their sacrifices.
He remembers their sins,
and he will punish them.
They will be carried away as prisoners to Egypt.
14 Israel has built palaces for their kings,
and now Judah builds fortresses.
But they have forgotten their Maker!
So I will send a fire to destroy their cities and fortresses!”

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:1 Be like an eagle … Lord ’s house Or “Be like a guard over the Lord ’s house.”
  2. Hosea 8:5 calf, Samaria Samaria was the capital city of Israel. The people of Israel made statues of calves and put them in the temples at Dan and Bethel. It is not clear if these statues represented the Lord or some false god. But God didn’t want them to use these statues. See 1 Kings 12:26-30.
  3. Hosea 8:9 lovers This means Israel’s false gods.
  4. Hosea 8:13 The Israelites love sacrifices The meaning of the Hebrew text here is uncertain.

8 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord , because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

2 Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.

3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

4 They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.

5 Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

6 For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

9 For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

Israel Reaps the Whirlwind

8 ( A ) Put the trumpet to your [ a ] lips!
( B ) Like an eagle the enemy comes ( C ) against the house of the Lord ,
Because they have ( D ) violated My covenant
And rebelled against My ( E ) Law.
2 ( F ) They cry out to Me,
“My God, ( G ) we of Israel know You!”
3 Israel has rejected the good;
The enemy will pursue him.
4 ( H ) They have set up kings, but not by Me;
They have appointed officials, but I did not know it .
With their ( I ) silver and gold they have made idols for themselves,
So that [ b ] they will be eliminated.
5 [ c ] He has rejected your ( J ) calf, Samaria, saying ,
“My anger burns against them!”
How long will they be incapable of ( K ) innocence?
6 For from Israel comes even this!
A ( L ) craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Assuredly, the calf of Samaria will be broken to [ d ] pieces.
7 For ( M ) they sow wind
And they harvest a ( N ) storm.
The standing grain has no [ e ] kernels;
It yields ( O ) no [ f ] grain.
If it were to yield, strangers would swallow it.

8 Israel has been ( P ) swallowed up;
They are now among the nations
Like a ( Q ) vessel in which no one delights.
9 For they have gone up to ( R ) Assyria,
Like ( S ) a wild donkey all alone;
Ephraim has ( T ) paid fees for [ g ] lovers.
10 Even though they [ h ] pay for allies among the nations,
I will ( U ) gather them up now;
And they will begin ( V ) to diminish
Because of the burden of the ( W ) king of officials.

11 Since Ephraim has ( X ) multiplied altars for sin,
They have become altars of sinning for him.
12 Though ( Y ) I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My ( Z ) Law,
They are regarded as a strange thing.
13 As for My ( AA ) sacrificial gifts,
They ( AB ) sacrifice the flesh and eat it ,
But the Lord has taken no delight in them.
Now He will ( AC ) remember their guilt,
And ( AD ) punish them for their sins;
They will return to ( AE ) Egypt.
14 For Israel has ( AF ) forgotten his Maker and ( AG ) built palaces;
And Judah has multiplied fortified cities,
But I will send a ( AH ) fire on its cities, and it will consume its palatial buildings.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:1 Lit palate
  2. Hosea 8:4 Lit he
  3. Hosea 8:5 Or Your calf has rejected you
  4. Hosea 8:6 Or splinters
  5. Hosea 8:7 Lit growth
  6. Hosea 8:7 Or meal
  7. Hosea 8:9 Lit love gifts
  8. Hosea 8:10 Or recruit allies

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

8 “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 )
2 Israel cries out to me,
‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’
3 But Israel has rejected what is good;
an enemy will pursue him. ( E )
4 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.
5 Samaria, throw out your calf-idol! ( H )
My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity? ( I )
6 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 )

7 “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 )
8 Israel is swallowed up; ( P )
now she is among the nations
like something no one wants. ( Q )
9 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 )

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