Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

Set (A)the trumpet to your lips!
    One (B)like a vulture is over the house of the Lord,
because (C)they have transgressed my covenant
    and rebelled against my law.
To me they cry,
    (D)“My God, we—Israel—know you.”
Israel has spurned the good;
    the enemy shall pursue him.

(E)They made kings, (F)but not through me.
    They set up princes, but I knew it not.
With their silver and gold they made idols
    for their own destruction.
(G)I have[a] spurned your calf, O Samaria.
    My anger burns against them.
(H)How long will they be incapable of innocence?
For it is from Israel;
a craftsman made it;
    it is not God.
(I)The calf of Samaria
    (J)shall be broken to pieces.[b]

For (K)they sow the wind,
    and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads;
    it shall yield no flour;
if it were to yield,
    (L)strangers would devour it.
(M)Israel is swallowed up;
    already they are among the nations
    as (N)a useless vessel.
For (O)they have gone up to Assyria,
    (P)a wild donkey wandering alone;
    Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 Though they hire allies among the nations,
    I will soon gather them up.
And (Q)the king and princes (R)shall soon writhe
    because of the tribute.

11 Because Ephraim (S)has multiplied altars for sinning,
    they have become to him altars for sinning.
12 (T)Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
    they would be regarded as a strange thing.
13 As for my sacrificial offerings,
    (U)they sacrifice meat and eat it,
    but the Lord does not accept them.
(V)Now he will remember their iniquity
    and punish their sins;
    (W)they shall return to Egypt.
14 For (X)Israel has forgotten (Y)his Maker
    and (Z)built palaces,
and (AA)Judah has multiplied fortified cities;
    so (AB)I will send a fire upon his cities,
    and it shall devour her strongholds.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:5 Hebrew He has
  2. Hosea 8:6 Or shall go up in flames

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Set the trumpet to your lips [announcing impending judgment]!
Like a [great] vulture the enemy comes against the house of the Lord,
Because they have broken My covenant
And transgressed and rebelled against My law.

Then they will cry out to Me,
“My God, we of Israel know You!”

Israel has rejected the good;
The enemy shall pursue him.

They set up kings, but not from Me [therefore without My blessing];
They have appointed princes, but I did not know it.
With their silver and their gold they made idols for themselves,
That they might be cut off.

He has rejected your [pagan] calf, O Samaria, saying,
“My wrath burns against them.”
How long will they be incapable of innocence?

For even this [loathsome calf] is from Israel.
A craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces and go up in flames.

For they sow the wind [in evil]
And they reap the whirlwind [in disaster].
The standing grain has no growth;
It yields no grain.
If it were to yield, strangers would swallow it up.


Israel is [as if] swallowed up [by enemies];
They are now among the nations
Like a vessel [of cheap, coarse pottery] that is useless.

For they have gone up to Assyria,
Like a wild donkey wandering alone and taking her own way;
Ephraim has hired lovers (pagan allies).
10 
Yes, even though [with presents] they hire allies among the nations,
Now I will gather them up;
And [in a little while] they will begin [a]to grow weak and diminish
Because of the burden imposed by the king of princes [the king of Assyria].

11 
For Ephraim has constructed many altars for sin;
They are altars intended for sinning [which multiply his guilt].
12 
I wrote for him the ten thousand precepts of My law,
But they are regarded as a strange thing [which does not concern him].
13 
As for My sacrificial offerings,
They sacrifice the meat [as a mere formality] and eat it,
But the Lord is not pleased with them and does not accept them.
Now He will remember and take into account their wickedness and guilt,
And punish them for their sins.
They will return [in captivity] to [another] Egypt [that is, Assyria].(A)
14 
For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces [and pagan temples],
And Judah has built many fortified cities;
But I will send a fire upon their cities so that it may consume their palaces and fortresses.(B)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:10 Lit to be small.