HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1162
H O S EA 8
because of their insolence toward me.
Then the people of Egypt
will laugh at them.
Israel Harvests the Whirlwind
1 “Sound the alarm!
The enemy descends like an eagle on
the people of the Lord,
for they have broken my covenant
and revolted against my law.
2 Now Israel pleads with me,
‘Help us, for you are our God!’
3 But it is too late.
The people of Israel have rejected what
is good,
and now their enemies will chase after
them.
4 The people have appointed kings without
my consent,
and princes without my approval.
By making idols for themselves from their
silver and gold,
they have brought about their own
destruction.
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“O Samaria, I reject this calf—
this idol you have made.
My fury burns against you.
How long will you be incapable of
innocence?
This calf you worship, O Israel,
was crafted by your own hands!
It is not God!
Therefore, it must be smashed to bits.
“They have planted the wind
and will harvest the whirlwind.
The stalks of grain wither
and produce nothing to eat.
And even if there is any grain,
foreigners will eat it.
The people of Israel have been swallowed up;
they lie among the nations like an old
discarded pot.
Like a wild donkey looking for a mate,
they have gone up to Assyria.
The people of Israel* have sold themselves—
sold themselves to many lovers.
But though they have sold themselves to
many allies,
I will now gather them together for
judgment.
Then they will writhe
under the burden of the great king.
“Israel has built many altars to take
away sin,
but these very altars became places
for sinning!
Even though I gave them all my laws,
they act as if those laws don’t apply
to them.
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The people love to offer sacrifices to me,
feasting on the meat,
but I do not accept their sacrifices.
I will hold my people accountable for
their sins,
and I will punish them.
They will return to Egypt.
Israel has forgotten its Maker and built
great palaces,
and Judah has fortified its cities.
Therefore, I will send down fire on
their cities
and will burn up their fortresses.”
Hosea Announces Israel’s Punishment
1 O people of Israel,
do not rejoice as other nations do.
For you have been unfaithful to your God,
hiring yourselves out like prostitutes,
worshiping other gods on every
threshing floor.
2 So now your harvests will be too small
to feed you.
There will be no grapes for making
new wine.
3 You may no longer stay here in the
Lord’s land.
Instead, you will return to Egypt,
and in Assyria you will eat food
that is ceremonially unclean.
4 There you will make no offerings of wine
to the Lord.
None of your sacrifices there will
please him.
They will be unclean, like food touched
by a person in mourning.
All who present such sacrifices will
be defiled.
They may eat this food themselves,
but they may not offer it to the Lord.
5 What then will you do on festival days?
How will you observe the Lord’s
festivals?
6 Even if you escape destruction from Assyria,
Egypt will conquer you, and Memphis*
will bury you.
Nettles will take over your treasures of
silver;
thistles will invade your ruined homes.
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The time of Israel’s punishment has come;
the day of payment is here.
Soon Israel will know this all too well.
Because of your great sin and hostility,
you say, “The prophets are crazy
and the inspired men are fools!”
The prophet is a watchman over Israel*
for my God,
8:9 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of
Israel; also in 8:11. 9:6 Memphis was the capital of northern
Egypt. 9:8 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern
kingdom of Israel; also in 9:11, 13, 16.