Hosea 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.

1Blow the horn! Sound the warning. An enemy is swooping down like an eagle over the LORD's house. This is because the people broke their promise to God and turned against his teaching.

NoteThe horn here is a ram's horn. People blew it loudly to warn a town that enemies were coming.

2Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.

2Israel calls out to me, "Our God, we know you!"

3Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

3But Israel has pushed away what is good. So an enemy will chase him.

4They 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.

4They chose kings, but I did not pick them. They made leaders, and I did not agree. They took their silver and gold and made idols, statues they bowed down to. Those idols will ruin them.

5Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

5God has thrown away your calf statue, Samaria, the big city of Israel. My anger burns against these people. How long until they can be honest and clean again?

6For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

6That calf came from Israel itself. A worker made it with his hands. So it is not God at all. The calf of Samaria will be smashed to pieces.

7For 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.

7They plant wind, so they will harvest a storm. The grain has no stalk. The tiny sprouts make no flour. And if any grain did grow, strangers would eat it up.

Note"Plant wind, harvest a storm" is a farming picture. Whatever you plant is what you get back, only much bigger.

8Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

8Israel has been swallowed up. Now they live scattered among other nations. They are like a pot that nobody wants.

9For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

9They went up to Assyria for help, like a wild donkey wandering off alone. Ephraim, another name for Israel, has paid others to be his friends.

Note"Paid others to be his friends" means Israel gave money to nearby nations so they would help and protect them.

10Yea, 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.

10Even though they paid other nations, I will now gather them up. They will start to grow weak under the heavy load the great king puts on them.

11Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

11Ephraim built many altars, tables for giving gifts to God. But those altars only became places where he did wrong.

12I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

12I wrote down the great things of my teaching for him. But the people treated my words like something strange that had nothing to do with them.

13They 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.

13They bring animals as gifts to me, and they eat the meat. But the LORD does not accept these gifts. Now he will remember the wrong they did. He will punish their sins. They will go back to Egypt.

14For 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.

14Israel has forgotten the God who made him. He builds fancy houses instead. Judah has built many cities with strong walls. But I will send fire on their cities. The fire will burn up their strong buildings.