Israel's Apostasy

1Set the trumpet to your lips!

One like a vulture8.1 Meaning of Heb uncertain is over the house of the LORD,

because they have broken my covenant,

and transgressed my law.

2Israel cries to me,

‘My God, we—Israel—know you!’

3Israel has spurned the good;

the enemy shall pursue him.

4They made kings, but not through me;

they set up princes, but without my knowledge.

With their silver and gold they made idols

for their own destruction.

5Your calf is rejected, O Samaria.

My anger burns against them.

How long will they be incapable of innocence?

6For it is from Israel,

an artisan made it;

it is not God.

The calf of Samaria

shall be broken to pieces.8.6 Or shall go up in flames

7For they sow the wind,

and they shall reap the whirlwind.

The standing grain has no heads,

it shall yield no meal;

if it were to yield,

foreigners would devour it.

8Israel is swallowed up;

now they are among the nations

as a useless vessel.

9For they have gone up to Assyria,

a wild ass wandering alone;

Ephraim has bargained for lovers.

10Though they bargain with the nations,

I will now gather them up.

They shall soon writhe

under the burden of kings and princes.

11When Ephraim multiplied altars to expiate sin,

they became to him altars for sinning.

12Though I write for him the multitude of my instructions,

they are regarded as a strange thing.

13Though they offer choice sacrifices,8.13 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain

though they eat flesh,

the LORD does not accept them.

Now he will remember their iniquity,

and punish their sins;

they shall return to Egypt.

14Israel has forgotten his Maker,

and built palaces;

and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;

but I will send a fire upon his cities,

and it shall devour his strongholds.