Hosea 8:14

אֶל־חִכְּךָ֣ שֹׁפָ֔ר כַּנֶּ֖שֶׁר עַל־בֵּ֣ית יְהֹוָ֑ה יַ֚עַן עָבְר֣וּ בְרִיתִ֔י וְעַל־תּוֹרָתִ֖י פָּשָֽׁעוּ׃ [Put] a ram’s horn to your mouth—
^aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Like an eagle^-a over the House of ^bEmendation yields “Israel.”the LORD;^-b
Because they have transgressed My covenant
And been faithless to My teaching.

לִ֖י יִזְעָ֑קוּ אֱלֹהַ֥י יְֽדַעֲנ֖וּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Israel cries out to Me,
“O my God, we are devoted to You.”^cSee note g at 7.14.

זָנַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל ט֑וֹב אוֹיֵ֖ב יִרְדְּפֽוֹ׃ Israel rejects what is good;
^dEmendation yields “They pursue delusion.”An enemy shall pursue him.^-d

הֵ֤ם הִמְלִ֙יכוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מִמֶּ֔נִּי הֵשִׂ֖ירוּ וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עְתִּי כַּסְפָּ֣ם וּזְהָבָ֗ם עָשׂ֤וּ לָהֶם֙ עֲצַבִּ֔ים לְמַ֖עַן יִכָּרֵֽת׃ They have made kings,
But not with My sanction;
They have made officers,
But not of My choice.
Of their silver and gold
They have made themselves images,
To their own undoing.

זָנַח֙ עֶגְלֵ֣ךְ שֹׁמְר֔וֹן חָרָ֥ה אַפִּ֖י בָּ֑ם עַד־מָתַ֕י לֹ֥א יוּכְל֖וּ נִקָּיֹֽן׃ ^eEmendation yields “I reject.”He rejects^-e your calf, Samaria!
I am furious with them!
Will they never be capable of ^fEmendation yields “understanding, / That House of Israel?”purity?

כִּ֤י מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְה֔וּא חָרָ֣שׁ עָשָׂ֔הוּ וְלֹ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים ה֑וּא כִּֽי־שְׁבָבִ֣ים יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עֵ֖גֶל שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃ For it was Israel’s doing;^-f
It was only made by a joiner,
It is not a god.
No, the calf of Samaria shall be
Reduced to splinters!

כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ יִזְרָ֖עוּ וְסוּפָ֣תָה יִקְצֹ֑רוּ קָמָ֣ה אֵֽין־ל֗וֹ צֶ֚מַח בְּלִ֣י יַעֲשֶׂה־קֶּ֔מַח אוּלַ֣י יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה זָרִ֖ים יִבְלָעֻֽהוּ׃ They sow wind,
And they shall reap whirlwind—
Standing stalks devoid of ears
And yielding no flour.
If they do yield any,
Strangers shall devour it.

נִבְלַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַתָּה֙ הָי֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֔ם כִּכְלִ֖י אֵֽין־חֵ֥פֶץ בּֽוֹ׃ Israel is bewildered;^gA play on words: The Heb. root bala‘, which means “bewildered” here (cf. Isa. 28.7), means “devour” in the preceding verse.
They have now become among the nations
Like an unwanted vessel,

כִּי־הֵ֙מָּה֙ עָל֣וּ אַשּׁ֔וּר פֶּ֖רֶא בּוֹדֵ֣ד ל֑וֹ אֶפְרַ֖יִם הִתְנ֥וּ אֲהָבִֽים׃ [Like] a lonely wild ass.
For they have gone up to Assyria,
^hEmendation yields “In Egypt they have.”Ephraim has^-h courted friendship.

גַּ֛ם כִּֽי־יִתְנ֥וּ בַגּוֹיִ֖ם עַתָּ֣ה אֲקַבְּצֵ֑ם וַיָּחֵ֣לּוּ מְּעָ֔ט מִמַּשָּׂ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ שָׂרִֽים׃ And while they are courting among the nations,
ⁱCf. 9.6; but meaning of Heb. uncertain.There I will hold them fast;^-i
aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.And they shall begin to diminish in number
From the burden of king [and] officers.^-a

כִּי־הִרְבָּ֥ה אֶפְרַ֛יִם מִזְבְּח֖וֹת לַחֲטֹ֑א הָיוּ־ל֥וֹ מִזְבְּח֖וֹת לַחֲטֹֽא׃ For Ephraim has multiplied altars—for guilt;
His altars have redounded to his guilt:

(אכתוב) [אֶ֨כְתׇּב־]ל֔וֹ (רבו) [רֻבֵּ֖י] תּוֹרָתִ֑י כְּמוֹ־זָ֖ר נֶחְשָֽׁבוּ׃ The many teachings I wrote for him
Have been treated as something alien.

זִבְחֵ֣י הַבְהָבַ֗י יִזְבְּח֤וּ בָשָׂר֙ וַיֹּאכֵ֔לוּ יְהֹוָ֖ה לֹ֣א רָצָ֑ם עַתָּ֞ה יִזְכֹּ֤ר עֲוֺנָם֙ וְיִפְקֹ֣ד חַטֹּאותָ֔ם הֵ֖מָּה מִצְרַ֥יִם יָשֽׁוּבוּ׃ ^aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.When they present sacrifices to Me,^-a
It is but flesh for them to eat:
The LORD has not accepted them.
Behold, He remembers their iniquity,
He will punish their sins:
Back to Egypt with them!