Hosea 7–8

Chapter 7

¹When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they practise falsehood; and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers assaileth without. ²And they say not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now do their own doings encompass them; they are before my face. ³They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. ⁴They all practise adultery, as an oven heated by the baker: he ceaseth from stirring the fire after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened. ⁵In the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine: he stretched out his hand to scorners. ⁶For they have applied their heart like an oven to their lying in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth like a flaming fire. ⁷They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

⁸Ephraim, he mixeth himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. ⁹Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not. ¹⁰And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to Jehovah their God, nor seek him for all this. ¹¹And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. ¹²When they go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowl of the heavens; I will chastise them, according as their assembly hath heard. ¹³Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against me. And I would redeem them; but they speak lies against me. ¹⁴And they cried not unto me in their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and new wine; they have turned aside from me. ¹⁵I have indeed trained, I have strengthened their arms, but they imagine mischief against me. ¹⁶They return, but not to the Most High: they are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Chapter 8

¹Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He cometh as an eagle against the house of Jehovah, because they have transgressed my covenant, and rebelled against my law. ²They shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee; we, Israel. ³Israel hath cast off good: the enemy shall pursue 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. ⁵Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will they be incapable of purity? ⁶For from Israel is this also: —a workman made it, and it is no God: for the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. ⁷For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; should it sprout, it would yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.

⁸Israel is swallowed up: now are they become among the nations as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. ⁹For they are gone up to Assyria as a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers. ¹⁰Although they hire among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall begin to be straitened under the burden of the king of princes. ¹¹Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. ¹²I have prescribed unto him the manifold things of my law: they are counted as a strange thing. ¹³They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; Jehovah hath no delight in them. Now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return 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.