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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)