the air; I will punish them as one preacheth in their gathering.

Woe unto them that they depart from me! They must be destroyed, for they have turned away from me. I would have delivered them, if they had not taught lies against me.

Neither do they call upon me from their hearts, but they listen in their camps. They gather themselves together for the sake of grain and must, and disobey me.

I teach them, and strengthen their arm: but they think evil of me.

They are converted, but not aright; they are as a false bow: therefore their princes shall fall by the sword; their dread shall be a mockery in the land of Egypt.
(Hosea)
Chapter 8
The wicked and apostate shall be cut off.

Cry with a loud trumpet, saying, He cometh upon the house of the LORD as an eagle: because they have transgressed my covenant, and have turned aside from my law.

Then shall they cry unto me: Thou art my God; we know thee, O Israel.

Israel rejecteth that which is good: therefore the enemy must persecute them.

They make kings, but without me: they set princes, and I have no need to know. Out of their silver and gold they make idols, that they may soon be cut off.

Thy calf, Samaria, he hath cast out; mine anger is kindled against them; it cannot stand long; they must be punished.

For the calf is come out of Israel, and a workman hath made it, and cannot be God: therefore shall the calf of Samaria be consumed.

For they sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind: their seed shall not come up, neither shall their plant yield flour: though it yield, yet shall strangers eat it.

Israel shall be eaten up; the heathen shall deal with them as with an unworthy vessel, 9. Because they go up to Assyria like a wild beast astray. Ephraim giveth to the wooers, and giveth tribute to the heathen.

These same nations will I now gather upon them; they shall soon be weary of the burden of the king and of the princes.

For Ephraim hath made the altars to sin much: so shall the altars be made sin for him.

If I write unto him as much of my law, it shall be regarded as a strange doctrine.

Though they sacrifice much, and bring flesh, and eat it, yet the LORD hath no pleasure in it; but he will remember their iniquity, and make an atonement for their sins which turn to Egypt.

Israel forgetteth his Maker, and buildeth churches: so Judah maketh many strong cities: but I will send fire into his cities, and it shall devour his houses.
(Hosea)
Chapter 9
Severe punishments follow severe sins.

Thou shalt not rejoice, O Israel, nor glory as the heathen: for thou hast whored against thy God, to seek the wages of whoredoms, that all the threshingfloors may be full of corn.

Therefore the threshingfloors and the winepress shall not nourish thee, and the must shall fail thee.

And they shall not dwell in the land of the LORD: but Ephraim shall return into Egypt, and shall eat in Assyria, which is unclean,

There they cannot make a drink offering of wine unto the LORD, nor do any thing to please him. Their offering shall be as the bread of the afflicted, whereof all they that eat thereof shall be unclean: for their bread they eat for themselves, and shall not be brought into the house of the LORD.

What then will ye do in the seasons, and in the feasts of the LORD?

Behold, they must depart from before the destroyer! Egypt shall gather them, and Moph shall bury them. Nettles shall grow where their dear silver of idols stand, and thorns in their tents.

The time of visitation is come, the time of vengeance; Israel shall know it. The prophets are fools, and the fools are mad, because of thy great iniquity, and because of the great hostile idolatry.

The watchmen of Ephraim kept about my God: but now they are prophets, laying cords in all their ways through the hostile idolatry of the house of their God.

They corrupt too deeply, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore shall he remember their iniquity, and punish their sin.

I found Israel in the wilderness like grapes, and saw your fathers as the first figs of the fig tree: but afterward they went to Baal-peor, and vowed themselves to the vile idol, and became as abominable as their wooers.

Therefore the glory of Ephraim must fly away like a bird, that they should not bear, nor carry, nor conceive.

Though they bring up their children, yet will I make them without children, and they shall not be men. And woe unto them, when I am departed from them!

Ephraim, as I look upon it, is planted and comely as Tyre, but now she letteth out her children to the slayer.

Give unto them, O Lord. But what wilt thou give them? Give them barren bodies and dried-up breasts!

All their wickedness is done in Gilgal: there am I hostile unto them: and I will also cast them out of mine house for their wickedness, and will show them no more love: for all their princes are apostates.

Ephraim is smitten; their root is withered, that they can no more bring forth fruit. Though they bring forth, yet will I kill the fruit of their womb.

My God shall reject them, because they will not hear him, and shall go astray among the heathen.
(Hosea)
Chapter 10
Warning the Israelites of their doom.

Israel is a desolate vine; the fruit thereof is even so. As much fruit as he had, so many altars had he made. Where the land was best, there they made the most beautiful churches.

Her heart is divided: now shall she find her iniquity. Her altars shall be broken down, and her churches shall be desolate.

Then shall they say, We have no king: for we fear not the LORD: what then can the king do for us?

They sware in vain, and made a covenant: and such counsel greeted all the furrows of the field as gall.

The inhabitants of Samaria take care of the calves of Bethaven: for his people mourn for him, over whom his camarim used to rejoice because of his glory: for he is led away from them.

The calf is brought into Assyria, and is a present unto the king of Jareb. So Ephraim is disgraced, and Israel is disgraced with his nobles.

For the king of Samaria is gone as the foam of the water.

The high places of Aven are destroyed, because Israel hath sinned: thorns and briers grow upon their altars. And they shall say, O mountains, cover us; and ye hills, fall upon us.

Israel, thou hast sinned since the days of Gibeah, and they have continued in it: but let not the
battle of Gibeah take them like unto it, which was done against the wicked men, 10. But I will chasten them according to my desire, and nations shall come together against them, when I shall punish them for their two sins.

Ephraim is like a calf, and is accustomed to be driven. I will ride upon his beautiful neck: I will ride Ephraim; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall harrow.

Sow ye therefore righteousness, and reap love, and plow otherwise: for it is time to seek the LORD, until he come and rain righteousness upon you.

For ye plow evil, and reap iniquity, and eat the fruit of lies.

Because thou trustest in thy character, and in the multitude of thy mighty men, there shall be a tumult among thy people, and all thy strongholds shall be destroyed. As Salman destroyed the house of Arbeel in the time of the battle, when the mother fell to pieces over the children, 15. Likewise also shall it be unto you at Bethel, because of your great wickedness, that the king of Israel shall go down early in the morning.
(Hosea)
Chapter 11
Praise of divine mercy, shown to the ungrateful Israelites.

When Israel was young, I loved him, and called him; my son, out of Egypt.

But now when they are called, they turn away, and sacrifice unto Baalim, and burn incense unto images.

I took Ephraim by his arms, and led him: but they perceived not how I helped them.

I made them draw a human yoke, and walk in cords of love, and helped them to bear the yoke upon their necks, and gave them food,

That he return not again into the land of Egypt. So Assyria became their king, because they would not return.

Therefore shall the sword come upon their cities, and shall wear out their bars, and devour them, because of their nobleness.

My people are weary to turn unto me: and as one preacheth unto them, so none riseth up.

what shall I make of thee, Ephraim? Shall I protect thee, O Israel? Shall I not make thee an Adama, and make thee like Zeboim? But my heart is not of this mind; my mercy is too fervent,

That I will not do according to mine indignation, nor turn to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not a man, and am the Holy One among thee. But I will not come into the city.

Then shall men follow the LORD, and he shall roar as a lion: and when he shall roar, they that are toward the west shall be afraid.

And they also that are in Egypt shall be afraid like a bird, and they that are in the land of Assyria like doves: and I will put them in their houses, saith the LORD.
(Hosea)
Chapter 12
Exhortation to repentance.

There is falsehood against me in Ephraim, and false worship in the house of Israel. But Judah still holds fast to God and to the right holy