Chapter 8

  Put the horn to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of the Lord; because they have gone against my agreement, they have not kept my law.  

  They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have knowledge of you, O God of Israel.  

  Israel has given up what is good; his haters will go after him.  

  They have put up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, but I had no knowledge of it; they have made images of silver and gold, so that they may be cut off.  

  I will have nothing to do with your young ox, O Samaria; my wrath is burning against them; how long will it be before the children of Israel make themselves clean?  

  The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into bits.  

  For they have been planting the wind, and their fruit will be the storm; his grain has no stem, it will give no meal, and if it does, a strange nation will take it.  

  Israel has come to destruction; now they are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure.  

  For they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has given money to get lovers.  

  But though they give money to the nations for help, still I will send them in all directions; and in a short time they will be without a king and rulers.  

  Because Ephraim has been increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him.  

  Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.  

  He gives the offerings of his lovers, and takes the flesh for food; but the Lord has no pleasure in them; now he will keep in mind their evil-doing and give them the punishment of their sins; they will go back to Egypt.  

  For Israel has no memory of his Maker, and has put up the houses of kings; and Judah has made great the number of his walled towns. But I will send a fire on his towns and put an end to his great houses.