Hosea 8
English Standard Version
Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind
8 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.
2 To me they cry,
(D)“My God, we—Israel—know you.”
3 Israel has spurned the good;
the enemy shall pursue him.
4 (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.
5 (G)I have[a] spurned your calf, O Samaria.
My anger burns against them.
(H)How long will they be incapable of innocence?
6 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]
7 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.
8 (M)Israel is swallowed up;
already they are among the nations
as (N)a useless vessel.
9 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.
Hosea 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Israel’s Apostasy
8 Set the trumpet to your lips!
One like a vulture[a] is over the house of the Lord,
because they have broken my covenant
and transgressed my law.(A)
2 They cry to me,
“My God, we know you!”[b](B)
3 Israel has spurned the good;
the enemy shall pursue him.
4 They made kings but not through me;
they set up princes but without my knowledge.
With their silver and gold they made idols
for their own destruction.(C)
5 Your calf is rejected, O Samaria.
My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of innocence?(D)
6 For it is from Israel,
an artisan made it;
it is not God.
The calf of Samaria
shall be broken to pieces.(E)
7 For they sow the wind,
and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads;
it shall yield no meal;
if it were to yield,
foreigners would devour it.(F)
8 Israel is swallowed up;
now they are among the nations
as a useless vessel.(G)
9 For they have gone up to Assyria,
a wild ass wandering alone;
Ephraim has bargained for lovers.(H)
10 Though they bargain with the nations,
I will now gather them up.
They shall soon writhe
under the burden of kings and princes.(I)
11 When Ephraim multiplied altars to expiate sin,
they became to him altars for sinning.
12 Though I write for him the multitude of my instructions,
they are regarded as a strange thing.(J)
13 Though they offer choice sacrifices,[c]
though they eat flesh,
the Lord does not accept them.
Now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins;
they shall return to Egypt.(K)
14 Israel has forgotten his Maker
and built palaces,
and Judah has multiplied fortified cities,
but I will send a fire upon his cities,
and it shall devour his strongholds.(L)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.