Hosea

Chapter 8

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¹Set 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.²Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.³Israel hath cast off the thing that is 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 it be ere they attain to innocency?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.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.1 sermon⁸Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.⁹For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.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.¹¹Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.¹²I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.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.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.