the Fourth Week of Advent
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Bishop's Bible
Hosea 8
1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth, [swiftly] as an Egle [shall the enemie come] agaynst the house of the Lorde: for they haue broken my couenaunt, and transgressed my lawe.2 Israel shoulde haue sayde vnto me: Thou art my God, we knowe thee.3 But he hath refused the thyng that is good, therfore shall the enemie pursue him.4 They haue ordeyned kinges, but not through me, they haue made princes, and I knewe it not: of their siluer and golde haue they made them idols, therfore shall they be destroyed.5 Thy Calfe O Samaria hath cast thee of, for my wrathfull indignation is gone foorth agaynst them: howe long wyll they be without innocencie?6 For [the calfe] came from Israel, the workman made it, therfore can it be no God: but euen in peeces shall the calfe of Samaria be broken.7 They haue sowen winde, therfore shall they reape a whirlewinde: it hath no stalke, the bud shall bryng foorth no meale: and if haplie it do, straungers shall deuour it vp.
8 Israel is deuoured, nowe shall they be among the gentiles as a vessell of no reputation.9 For they haue gone vp to Assyria [and are as] a wilde asse solitarie by him selfe: Ephraim hath hired louers.10 And though they haue hired them among the heathen, yet nowe wyll I gather them, and they shall begyn to be weery with the burthen of the king and the prince.11 Ephraim hath made many aulters to do wickednesse, his aulters [I say] he had to his sinne.12 I haue written to them the great thinges of my lawe, [but] they are counted as a straunge thing.13 They sacrifice fleshe for the sacrifice of mine offeringes, & eate it, [but] the Lord hath no pleasure in it: nowe wyll he remember their iniquitie, and visite their sinnes, they shall returne into Egypt.14 For Israel hath forgotten him that made him, & hath builded faire palaces, and Iuda hath encreased strong cities: but I wyll sende a fire into their cities, and it shall consume their palaces.