Israel Rejects the Lord
The Lord said:
1 Sound a warning!
Israel, you broke our agreement
and ignored my teaching.
Now an eagle is swooping down
to attack my land.
2 Israel, you say, “We claim you,
the Lord, as our God.”
3 But your enemies
will chase you for rejecting
our good agreement.
4 You chose kings and leaders
without consulting me;
you made silver and gold idols
that led to your downfall.
5 City of Samaria, I'm angry
because of your idol
in the shape of a calf.
When will you ever
be innocent again?
6 Someone from Israel built
that idol for you,
but only I am God.
And so it will be smashed
to pieces.
7 If you scatter wind
instead of wheat,
you will harvest a whirlwind
and have no wheat.
Even if you harvest grain,
enemies will steal it all.
8 Israel, you are ruined,
and now the nations
consider you worthless.
9 You are like a wild donkey
that goes its own way.
You've run off to Assyria
and hired them as allies.
10 You can bargain with nations,
but I'll catch you anyway.
Soon you will suffer abuse
by kings and rulers.
11 Israel, you have built
many altars where you offer
sacrifices for sin.
But these altars have become
places for sin.
12 My instructions for sacrifices
were written in detail,
but you ignored them.
13 You sacrifice your best animals
and eat the sacrificial meals,
but I, the Lord,
refuse your offerings.
I will remember your sins
and punish you.
Then you will return to Egypt.
14 Israel, I created you,
but you forgot me.
You and Judah built palaces
and many strong cities.
Now I will send fire to destroy
your towns and fortresses.
1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth: he shall come as an eagle against the House of the Lord, because they haue transgressed my couenant, and trespassed against my Lawe. 2 Israel shall crie vnto me, My God, we know thee. 3 Israel hath cast off ye thing that is good: the enemie shall pursue him. 4 They haue set vp a King, but not by me: they haue made princes, and I knew it not: of their siluer and their gold haue they made them idoles: therefore shall they be destroyed. 5 Thy calfe, O Samaria, hath cast thee off: mine anger is kindled against them: howe long will they be without innocencie! 6 For it came euen from Israel: the workeman made it, therefore it is not God: but the calfe of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. 7 For they haue sowne the winde, and they shall reape the whirlewind: it hath no stalke: the budde shall bring foorth no meale: if so be it bring forth, the strangers shall deuoure it. 8 Israel is deuoured, now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessell wherein is no pleasure. 9 For they are gone vp to Asshur: they are as a wilde asse alone by himselfe: Ephraim hath hired louers. 10 Yet though they haue hired among the nations, nowe will I gather them, and they shall sorowe a litle, for the burden of the King and the princes. 11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sinne, his altars shalbe to sinne. 12 I haue written to them the great things of my Lawe: but they were counted as a strange thing. 13 They sacrifice flesh for ye sacrifices of mine offerings, and eate it: but the Lord accepteth them not: now will he remember their iniquitie, and visite their sinnes: they shall returne to Egypt. 14 For Israel hath forgotten his maker, and buildeth Temples, and Iudah hath increased strong cities: but I will sende a fire vpon his cities, and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof.