Chapter 8
Corruption of Cult, Domestic and Foreign Politics
1 Put the trumpet to your lips!(A)
One like an eagle is over the house of the Lord!
Because they have violated my covenant,
and rebelled against my law,
2 They cry out to me,
“My God! We know you!”
3 But Israel has rejected what is good;
the enemy shall pursue him.
4 They made kings, but not by my authority;
they established princes, but without my knowledge.
With their silver and gold
they made idols for themselves,
to their own destruction.
5 He has rejected your calf, Samaria!(B)
My wrath is kindled against them;
How long will they be incapable of innocence
in Israel?
6 An artisan made it,
it is no god at all.(C)
The calf of Samaria
will be dashed to pieces.
7 When they sow the wind,
they will reap the whirlwind;(D)
The stalk of grain that forms no head
can yield no flour;
Even if it could,
strangers would swallow it.
8 Israel is swallowed up;
now they are among the nations,
like a useless vessel.
9 For they went up to Assyria—
a wild ass off on its own—
Ephraim bargained for lovers.(E)
10 Even though they bargain with the nations,
I will now gather them together;
They will soon succumb
under the burden of king and princes.
11 When Ephraim made many altars to expiate sin,
they became altars for sinning.
12 Though I write for him my many instructions,
they are considered like a stranger’s.
13 They love sacrifice,
they sacrifice meat and eat it,
but the Lord is not pleased with them.(F)
Now he will remember their guilt
and punish their sins;(G)
they shall return to Egypt.(H)
14 Israel has forgotten his maker(I)
and has built palaces.
Judah, too, has fortified many cities,
but I will send fire upon his cities,
to devour their strongholds.(J)
Footnotes
- 8:1
- 8:3
- 8:4
- 8:5
- 8:9
- 8:10
- 8:11
- 8:13
Cross references
- 8:1 : Jl 2:1.
- 8:5 : 1 Kgs 12:28.
- 8:6 : Ex 20:4; 34:17; Is 40:19–20; 44:9–20; Jer 10:1–16.
- 8:7 : Jb 4:8; Prv 22:8; 2 Cor 9:6; Gal 6:7–8.
- 8:9 : Ez 16:32–34.
- 8:13 : Am 5:22.
- 8:13 : Jer 14:10.
- 8:13 : Dt 28:68.
- 8:14 : Dt 32:15, 18; Is 51:13.
- 8:14 : Am 1:7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5.
