“They shall return
To the land of Egypt.
Assyria
Shall be their king.
They have refused
To return to me.
The sword rages
In their cities.
It consumes
Their oracle priests.
It devours them
Because of their schemes.
My people
Are bent
On turning away
From me.
They call to
The Most High,
But he does not
Raise them up at all.”
Yahweh, via Hosea, warned them that their punishment was coming. They would be exiled to Egypt. Assyria would be their new king. They had refused to return to Yahweh. Thus, the killing sword would rage in their cities. The oracle priests at their various idol worship sites would be destroyed. They would all die because of their schemes. They were bent on turning away from Yahweh. Thus, when they called out for help, they would not get an answer.