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Reaping the Wind Storm

“Sound the ram’s horn!
Like a vulture[a] the enemy[b] will come against the Temple of the Lord,
because Israel[c] violated my covenant,
    transgressing my Law.
They cry out to me,
    ‘God, we of Israel acknowledge you.’

“Israel has discarded what is good.
    The enemy will pursue them.[d]
They set kings in place,
    but not by me.
They established princes,
    whom I did not recognize.
They crafted idols for themselves from their silver and gold;
    as a result, they will be destroyed.
Your calf,[e] Samaria, has been thrown away.
    My anger is burning against them.
        How long until they become pure again?
Because from Israel it was fashioned by craftsmen,
    it is not God;
        therefore Samaria’s calf will be broken in pieces.

“Because they sow the wind,
    they will reap the wind storm.
The plant has no stalk
    and its bud yields no grain.
Even if there’s a harvest,
    foreigners will gobble it up.
Israel has been devoured;
    now they will live among the nations
        like a worthless container.

“Because they went over to Assyria,
    they are like a wild donkey alone by itself.
        Ephraim has hired some lovers.
10 Even though they sold themselves to the nations,
    I will gather them.
They will mourn for a while
    for the burden they were to the king and princes.[f]

11 “The more altars Ephraim builds for sin,
    the more altars there will be for sin.
12 I prescribed great things from my Law for them,[g]
    but they considered them profane.
13 They offer me meat from the sacrifices of my offerings,
    and they eat from it,
        but the Lord does not accept them.
He will now remember their transgression
    and pay them back for their sins;
        to Egypt they will return.

14 “Israel has neglected its maker in building palaces.
    Judah has multiplied its fortified cities,
but I will send fire to their cities,
    and it will consume their fortresses.”

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 8:1 Or eagle
  2. Hosea 8:1 Lit. he
  3. Hosea 8:1 Lit. they
  4. Hosea 8:3 Lit. him
  5. Hosea 8:5 I.e. the idol they crafted (cf. v. 4)
  6. Hosea 8:10 So LXX. MT king of princes
  7. Hosea 8:12 Lit. him

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

“Put the trumpet(A) to your lips!
    An eagle(B) is over the house of the Lord
because the people have broken my covenant(C)
    and rebelled against my law.(D)
Israel cries out to me,
    ‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’
But Israel has rejected what is good;
    an enemy will pursue him.(E)
They set up kings without my consent;
    they choose princes without my approval.(F)
With their silver and gold
    they make idols(G) for themselves
    to their own destruction.
Samaria, throw out your calf-idol!(H)
    My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity?(I)
    They are from Israel!
This calf—a metalworker has made it;
    it is not God.(J)
It will be broken in pieces,
    that calf(K) of Samaria.(L)

“They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.(M)
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.(N)
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.(O)
Israel is swallowed up;(P)
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.(Q)
For they have gone up to Assyria(R)
    like a wild donkey(S) wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.(T)
10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.(U)
They will begin to waste away(V)
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

11 “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
    these have become altars for sinning.(W)
12 I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.(X)
13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me,
    and though they eat(Y) the meat,
    the Lord is not pleased with them.(Z)
Now he will remember(AA) their wickedness
    and punish their sins:(AB)
    They will return to Egypt.(AC)
14 Israel has forgotten(AD) their Maker(AE)
    and built palaces;
    Judah has fortified many towns.
But I will send fire on their cities
    that will consume their fortresses.”(AF)

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.

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

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

They 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.

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

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

For 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.

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

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

10 Yea, 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.

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

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

13 They 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.

14 For 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.