Hosea 13:2

The Ephraimites, and the other Israelites, had continued to sin more and more by making molten images and carved idols of silver (cf. Exodus 20:4-5; Exodus 34:17; Deuteronomy 5:8-9). They took great pains to make beautiful idols by employing skilled craftsmen for their construction. They also required that those who made sacrifices to them profess their devotion and homage by kissing the images. The NIV translation "they offer human sacrifice" is literally "sacrificers of men kiss calves." Human sacrifice is not in view here. There is no other indication that the Israelites practiced human sacrifice at Bethel or Dan. The idea is that those among the people (men) who sacrificed to idols kissed the images. How doubly ironical it was that they should worship things that they had created and that they should kiss images of animals!