Hosea

Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

1Put the ram’s horn to your lips!An eagle looms over the house of the LORD,because the people have transgressed My covenantand rebelled against My law.

2Israel cries out to Me,“O our God, we know You!”

3But Israel has rejected good;an enemy will pursue him.

4They set up kings, but not by Me.They make princes, but without My approval.With their silver and gold they make themselves idols,to their own destruction.

5He has rejected your calf,O Samaria.My anger burns against them.How long will they beincapable of innocence?

6For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God.It will be broken to pieces,that calf of Samaria.

7For they sow the wind,and they shall reap the whirlwind.There is no standing grain;what sprouts fails to yield flour.Even if it should produce,the foreigners would swallow it up.

8Israel is swallowed up!Now they are among the nations like a worthless vessel.

9For they have gone up to Assyrialike a wild donkey on its own. Ephraimhas hired lovers.

10Though they hire allies among the nations,I will now round them up,and they will begin to diminishunder the oppression of the king of princes.

11Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin,they became his altars for sinning.

12Though I wrote for them the great things of My law,they regarded them as something strange.

13Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me,and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them.Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins:They will return to Egypt.

14Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces;Judah has multiplied its fortified cities.But I will send fire upon their cities,and it will consume their citadels.

1'Unto thy mouth — a trumpet, As an eagle against the house of Jehovah, Because they transgressed My covenant, And against My law they have rebelled.

2To Me they cry, 'My God, we — Israel — have known Thee.'

3Cast off good hath Israel, an enemy pursueth him.

4They have made kings, and not by Me, They have made princes, and I have not known, Their silver and their gold they have made to them idols, So that they are cut off.

5Cast off hath thy calf, O Samaria, Burned hath Mine anger against them, Till when are they not capable of purity?

6For even it [is] of Israel; an artificer made it, And it [is] not God, For the calf of Samaria is fragments!

7For wind they sow, and a hurricane they reap, Stalk it hath none — a shoot not yielding grain, If so be it yield — strangers do swallow it up.

8Israel hath been swallowed up, Now they have been among nations, As a vessel in which is no delight.

9For they — they have gone up [to] Asshur, A wild ass alone by himself [is] Ephraim, They have hired lovers!

10Also though they hire among nations, Now I gather them, and they are pained a little, From the burden of a king of princes.

11Because Ephraim did multiply altars to sin, They have been to him altars to sin.

12I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.

13The sacrifices of Mine offerings! They sacrifice flesh, and they eat, Jehovah hath not accepted them, Now doth He remember their iniquity, And inspect their sin, They — [to] Egypt they turn back.

14And forget doth Israel his Maker, and buildeth temples, And Judah hath multiplied cities of defence, And I have sent a fire into his cities, And it hath consumed their palaces!