Hosea 10

1 Israel a vine full of branches, the fruit is agreeable to it: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath multiplied altars, according to the plenty of his land he hath abounded with idols.

A luxuriant vine, is Israel, fruit, beseemeth him, —According to the abundance of his fruit, hath he brought abundance to the altars, according to the goodliness of his land, hath he made goodly statues.

2 Their heart is divided: now they shall perish: he shall break down their idols, he shall destroy their altars.

Hypocritical is their heart, Now, shall they be held guilty, —He, will break down their altars, he will destroy their statutes.

3 For now they shall say: We have no king: because we fear not the Lord: and what shall a king do to us?

For, now, will they say, We have no king, —for we revere not Yahweh, and what could, a king, do for us?

4 You speak words of an unprofitable vision, and you shall make a covenant: and judgment shall spring up as bitterness in the furrows of the field.

They have spoken words, swearing falsely, in solemnizing a covenant, —therefore shall judgment, spring up like a poisonous plant, on the ridges of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the king of Bethaven: for the people thereof have mourned over it, and the wardens of its temple that rejoiced over it in its glory because it is departed from it.

About the calves of Beth-aven, will the inhabitant of Samaria be concerned, —for the people thereof, have mourned over it, and, the ascetics thereof, who, over it, used to exult, [shall mourn] for the glory thereof, because it hath departed therefrom.

6 For itself also is carried into Assyria, a present to the avenging king: shame shall fall upon Ephraim, and Israel shall be confounded in his own will.

Itself also, to Assyria, shall be borne along, as a present to a hostile king, —shame, shall Ephraim receive, that Israel, may be ashamed, of his own counsel.

7 Samaria hath made her king to pass as froth upon the face of the water.

Silenced is Samaria: her king, is as a chip on the face of the waters,

8 And the high places of the idol, the sin of Israel shall be destroyed: the bur and the thistle shall grow up over their altars: and they shall say to the mountains: Cover us; and to the hills: Fall upon us.

So shall the high places of Aven, be destroyed, the sin of Israel, Thorn and prickle, shall come up on their altars, —Therefore shall they say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

9 From the days of Gabaa, Israel hath sinned, there they stood: the battle in Gabaa against the children of iniquity shall not overtake them.

Beyond the days of Gibeah, hast thou sinned, O Israel: there, came they to a stand, the battle against the sons of perversity, touched them not in Gibeah.

10 According to my desire I will chastise them: and the nations shall be gathered together against them, when they shall be chastised for their two iniquities.

When I please, then will I chastise them, —and there shall be gathered together against them—peoples, they being harnessed to their two Iniquities;

11 Ephraim is a heifer taught to love to tread out corn, but I passed over upon the beauty of her neck: I will ride upon Ephraim, Juda shall plough, Jacob shall break the furrows for himself.

But, Ephraim, shall be a heifer broken in, loving to tread out corn, when, I, have passed over upon her fair neck, —I will drive Ephraim, Judah, shall plow, Jacob, shall harrow to him.

12 Sow for yourselves in justice, and reap in the mouth of mercy, break up your fallow ground: but the time to seek the Lord is, when he shall come that shall teach you justice.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap ye at the bidding of lovingkindness, furrow to yourselves the newly-ploughed soil, —then will be the time to seek Yahweh, until he come, that he may rain down righteousness for you.

13 You have ploughed wickedness, you have reaped iniquity, you have eaten the fruit of lying: because thou hast trusted in thy ways, in the multitude of thy strong ones.

Ye have plowed lawlessness, perversity, have ye reaped, ye have eaten the fruit of deception, —because thou didst trust in thy chariots, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

14 A tumult shall arise among thy people: and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed as Salmana was destroyed, by the house of him that judged Baal in the day of battle, the mother being dashed in pieces upon her children.

Therefore shall there arise a tumult among thy peoples, and, all thy fortresses, shall be plundered, as Shalman plundered Beth-arbel, in the day of battle, —the mother, upon her children, dashed to the ground.

15 So hath Bethel done to you, because of the evil of your iniquities.

Even so, hath Bethel, done to you, because of your exceeding wickedness, —in the dawn, shall the king of Israel be, utterly silenced.