[1] Put the horn to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of
the Lord; because they have gone against my agreement, they have not kept
my law. [2] They will send up to me a cry for help: We, Israel, have
knowledge of you, O God of Israel. [3] Israel has given up what is good;
his haters will go after him. [4] They have put up kings, but not by me;
they have made princes, but I had no knowledge of it; they have made images
of silver and gold, so that they may be cut off. [5] I will have nothing to
do with your young ox, O Samaria; my wrath is burning against them; how
long will it be before the children of Israel make themselves clean? [6]
The workman made it, it is no god; the ox of Samaria will be broken into
bits. [7] For they have been planting the wind, and their fruit will be the
storm; his grain has no stem, it will give no meal, and if it does, a
strange nation will take it. [8] Israel has come to destruction; now they
are among the nations like a cup in which there is no pleasure. [9] For
they have gone up to Assyria like an ass going by himself; Ephraim has
given money to get lovers. [10] But though they give money to the nations
for help, still I will send them in all directions; and in a short time
they will be without a king and rulers. [11] Because Ephraim has been
increasing altars for sin, altars have become a cause of sin to him. [12]
Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to
him as a strange thing. [13] He gives the offerings of his lovers, and
takes the flesh for food; but the Lord has no pleasure in them; now he will
keep in mind their evil-doing and give them the punishment of their sins;
they will go back to Egypt. [14] For Israel has no memory of his Maker, and
has put up the houses of kings; and Judah has made great the number of his
walled towns. But I will send a fire on his towns and put an end to his
great houses.
