Israel Reaps the Whirlwind

(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)transgressed My covenant
And rebelled against My (E)law.
(F)They cry out to Me,
“My God, (G)we of Israel know You!”
Israel has rejected the good;
The enemy will pursue him.
(H)They have set up kings, but not by Me;
They have appointed princes, but I did not know it.
With their (I)silver and gold they have made idols for themselves,
That [b]they might be cut off.
[c]He has rejected your (J)calf, O Samaria, saying,
“My anger burns against them!”
How long will they be incapable of (K)innocence?
For from Israel is even this!
A (L)craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to [d]pieces.
For (M)they sow the wind
And they reap the (N)whirlwind.
The standing grain has no [e]heads;
It yields (O)no [f]grain.
Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.

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

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 iniquity,
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 that it may consume its palatial dwellings.

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 loves
  8. Hosea 8:10 Or suffer for awhile

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

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

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