Hosea 8

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

The prophet is commanded to sound a ram's horn as an eagle looms over the house of the LORD because Israel and Ephraim have transgressed the covenant, rebelled against the law, and rejected what is good. Israel sets up kings and princes without divine approval and uses silver and gold to make idols, specifically the calf of Samaria, which God rejects and will break to pieces. Because they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind, Israel is swallowed up among the nations like a worthless vessel, having gone to Assyria and hired allies. Although Ephraim multiplied altars for sin and treated the divine law as something strange, the LORD refuses their sacrifices, states they will return to Egypt, and declares He will remember their iniquity. Finally, because Israel has forgotten its Maker by building palaces and Judah has multiplied fortified cities, the LORD states He will send fire upon their cities to consume their citadels.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law. ²Israel cries out to Me, “O our God, we know You!” ³But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him. ⁴They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. ⁵He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? ⁶For this thing is from Israel— a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria. ⁷For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up. ⁸Israel is swallowed up! Now they are among the nations like a worthless vessel. ⁹For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey on its own. Ephraim has hired lovers. ¹⁰Though they hire allies among the nations, I will now round them up, and they will begin to diminish under the oppression of the king of princes. ¹¹Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning. ¹²Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange. ¹³Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt. ¹⁴Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has multiplied its fortified cities. But I will send fire upon their cities, and it will consume their citadels.

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.