1 The destruction of Judah and Israel, because of their idolatry.

Set the trumpet to thy [a]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 [b]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 a [c]king, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols: therefore shall they be destroyed.

Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off: mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be without [d]innocency!

[e]For it came even from Israel: the workman made it, therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

For they have [f]sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall bring forth no meal: if so be it brought forth, the strangers shall devour it.

Israel is devoured, now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

For they are gone up to Assyria: they are as a [g]wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

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

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

12 I have written to them the great things of my Law: but they were counted as a [i]strange thing.

13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it: but the [j]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 increased strong cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:1 God encourageth the Prophet to signify the speedy coming of the enemy against Israel, which was once the people of God.
  2. Hosea 8:2 They shall cry like hypocrites, but not from the heart, as their deeds declare.
  3. Hosea 8:4 That is, Jeroboam by whom they sought their own liberty, and not to obey my will.
  4. Hosea 8:5 That is, upright judgment and godly life.
  5. Hosea 8:6 Meaning, the calf was invented by themselves, and of their fathers in the wilderness.
  6. Hosea 8:7 Showing that their religion hath but a show, and in itself is but vanity.
  7. Hosea 8:9 They never cease, but run to and fro to seek help.
  8. Hosea 8:10 That is, for the king and the princes shall lay upon them: which means the Lord useth to bring them to repentance.
  9. Hosea 8:12 Thus the idolaters count the word of God as strange in respect of their own inventions.
  10. Hosea 8:13 Saying that they offer it to the Lord, but he accepteth no service, which he himself hath not appointed.

אֶל־חִכְּךָ֣ שֹׁפָ֔ר כַּנֶּ֖שֶׁר עַל־בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה יַ֚עַן עָבְר֣וּ בְרִיתִ֔י וְעַל־תּוֹרָתִ֖י פָּשָֽׁעוּ׃

לִ֖י יִזְעָ֑קוּ אֱלֹהַ֥י יְֽדַעֲנ֖וּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

זָנַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל ט֑וֹב אוֹיֵ֖ב יִרְדְּֽפוֹ׃

הֵ֤ם הִמְלִיכוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מִמֶּ֔נִּי הֵשִׂ֖ירוּ וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עְתִּי כַּסְפָּ֣ם וּזְהָבָ֗ם עָשׂ֤וּ לָהֶם֙ עֲצַבִּ֔ים לְמַ֖עַן יִכָּרֵֽת׃

זָנַח֙ עֶגְלֵ֣ךְ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן חָרָ֥ה אַפִּ֖י בָּ֑ם עַד־מָתַ֕י לֹ֥א יוּכְל֖וּ נִקָּיֹֽן׃

כִּ֤י מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְה֔וּא חָרָ֣שׁ עָשָׂ֔הוּ וְלֹ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים ה֑וּא כִּֽי־שְׁבָבִ֣ים יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עֵ֖גֶל שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ יִזְרָ֖עוּ וְסוּפָ֣תָה יִקְצֹ֑רוּ קָמָ֣ה אֵֽין־ל֗וֹ צֶ֚מַח בְּלִ֣י יַֽעֲשֶׂה־קֶּ֔מַח אוּלַ֣י יַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה זָרִ֖ים יִבְלָעֻֽהוּ׃

נִבְלַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַתָּה֙ הָי֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֔ם כִּכְלִ֖י אֵֽין־חֵ֥פֶץ בּֽוֹ׃

כִּֽי־הֵ֙מָּה֙ עָל֣וּ אַשּׁ֔וּר פֶּ֖רֶא בּוֹדֵ֣ד ל֑וֹ אֶפְרַ֖יִם הִתְנ֥וּ אֲהָבִֽים׃

10 גַּ֛ם כִּֽי־יִתְנ֥וּ בַגּוֹיִ֖ם עַתָּ֣ה אֲקַבְּצֵ֑ם וַיָּחֵ֣לּוּ מְּעָ֔ט מִמַּשָּׂ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ שָׂרִֽים׃

11 כִּֽי־הִרְבָּ֥ה אֶפְרַ֛יִם מִזְבְּחֹ֖ת לַחֲטֹ֑א הָיוּ־ל֥וֹ מִזְבְּח֖וֹת לַחֲטֹֽא׃

12 ׳אֶכְתּוֹב־אֶ֨כְתָּב־ל֔וֹ׳ ׳רִבּוֹ׳ ״רֻבֵּ֖י״ תּֽוֹרָתִ֑י כְּמוֹ־זָ֖ר נֶחְשָֽׁבוּ׃

13 זִבְחֵ֣י הַבְהָבַ֗י יִזְבְּח֤וּ בָשָׂר֙ וַיֹּאכֵ֔לוּ יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א רָצָ֑ם עַתָּ֞ה יִזְכֹּ֤ר עֲוֺנָם֙ וְיִפְקֹ֣ד חַטֹּאותָ֔ם הֵ֖מָּה מִצְרַ֥יִם יָשֽׁוּבוּ׃

14 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֨ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־עֹשֵׂ֗הוּ וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ הֵֽיכָל֔וֹת וִֽיהוּדָ֕ה הִרְבָּ֖ה עָרִ֣ים בְּצֻר֑וֹת וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי־אֵ֣שׁ בְּעָרָ֔יו וְאָכְלָ֖ה אַרְמְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃ ס