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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 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning,
    they became for him altars for sinning.
12 I wrote for him the many things of my law;
    but they were regarded as a strange thing.
13 As for the sacrifices of my offerings,
    they sacrifice meat and eat it;
    But Yahweh doesn’t accept them.
Now he will remember their iniquity,
    and punish their sins.
    They will return to Egypt.
14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces;
    and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;
    but I will send a fire on his cities,
    and it will devour its fortresses.”

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