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Sacrifices Ineffective without Moral Obedience

11 Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings,
these have become altars for sinning.
12 I spelled out my law for him in great detail,
but they regard it as something totally unknown[a] to them.
13 They offer up sacrificial gifts to me
and eat the meat,
but the Lord does not accept their sacrifices.[b]
Soon he will remember their wrongdoing,
he will punish their sins,
and they will return to Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces,
and Judah has built many fortified cities.
But I will send fire on their cities;
it will consume their royal citadels.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:12 tn Heb “foreign” or “alien”; cf. NASB, NRSV “as a strange thing.”
  2. Hosea 8:13 tn Heb “does not accept them”; the referent (their sacrifices) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

11 When Ephraim added more altars to take away sin,
        they became altars to him for sinning.
12 Even though I write out for him a large number of my instructions,
        they are regarded as strange.
13 Though they offer choice sacrifices,[a]
        though they eat flesh,
        the Lord doesn’t accept them.
    Now he will remember their wickedness
        and punish their sins;
        they will return to Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten his maker,
        and built palaces;
    and Judah has multiplied walled cities;
        but I will send a fire upon his cities,
        and it will devour his fortresses.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:13 Correction; Heb uncertain