Hosea 8
Modern English Version
The Apostasy of Israel
8 Set the trumpet to your mouth!
One like an eagle is on the house of the Lord,
because they have transgressed My covenant
and rebelled against My law.
2 Israel cries to Me,
“My God, we know You.”
3 Israel has cast off the good;
the enemy will pursue him.
4 They set up kings, but not through Me;
they made princes, but I did not know it.
With their silver and gold,
they made idols,
so that they will be cut off.
5 Your calf, O Samaria, is rejected!
My anger is kindled against them.
How long will they be incapable of innocence?
6 For it is from Israel;
a craftsman made it,
and it is not God!
The calf of Samaria
will be broken to pieces.
7 For they sow the wind,
and they will reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no head
and will yield no flour.
If it were to yield,
foreigners would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up.
Now they are among the nations
as a vessel in which there is no pleasure.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria
like a wild donkey alone by itself;
Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 Though they hire among the nations,
I will now gather them.
They will begin to diminish due to the burden
of the king of princes.
11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin,
they have become to him altars for sinning.
12 I have written for him the great things of My law,
but they were regarded as a strange thing.
13 For the sacrifices of My offerings,
they sacrifice flesh and eat it;
but the Lord does not accept them.
Now He will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.
They will return to Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten his Maker
and built temples,
and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;
so I will send a fire upon his cities,
and it will devour his palaces.
Hosea 8
Authorized (King James) Version
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.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.