Hosea 8:11-14

Sacrifices Ineffective without Moral Obedience

8:11 Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings,

these have become altars for sinning!

8:12 I spelled out my law for him in great detail,

but they regard it as something totally unknown ¹  to them!

8:13 They offer up sacrificial gifts to me,

and eat the meat,

but the Lord does not accept their sacrifices. ² 

Soon he will remember their wrongdoing,

he will punish their sins,

and they will return to Egypt.

8:14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces,

and Judah has built many fortified cities.

But I will send fire on their cities;

it will consume their royal citadels.

[8:12]  ¹ tn Heb “foreign” or “alien”; NASB, NRSV “as a strange thing.”

[8:13]  ² tn Heb “does not accept them”; the referent (their sacrifices) has been specified in the translation for clarity.