Hosea 10

1 Israel is like a spreading vine that produces fruit for itself. The more fruit they produced, the more altars they built. The more productive the land, the more beautiful they made the sacred pillars.

Israel is a luxuriant vine, That bringeth forth fruit; But according to the abundance of his fruit hath he abounded in altars; According to the goodness of his land hath he made goodly images.

2 The people have minds that are deceptive, and now they must take responsibility for their guilt. The Lord will break apart their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.

Their heart is divided; now shall they suffer for it; He will break down their altars, And destroy their images.

3 Then they will say, “We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord, and yet what would a king do for us?”

For soon shall they say, We have no king, Because we fear not Jehovah; What can a king do for us?

4 They speak empty words, swearing false promises to make a covenant. Their “justice” flourishes like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

They utter empty words, Swearing falsely, making covenants, And now judgment springeth up, as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

5 Those who live in Samaria tremble in awe at the calf of Beth-aven. Its people mourn for it in their pagan rituals, while its idolatrous priests celebrate its glory. But it will certainly be taken away from them. It will be brought to Assyria as tribute for the great king.

For the calf of Bethaven shall the inhabitants of Samaria be in fear; Yea, its people shall grieve for it, And its priests shall tremble for it, Because its glory has departed from it.

6 Ephraim will be disgraced, and Israel will be ashamed at its own decisions.

It shall be carried to Assyria, As a present to the hostile king. Ephraim shall be covered with confusion, And Israel shall be ashamed of his doings,

7 Samaria and its king will be destroyed, swept away like a twig on the surface of the water.

Samaria shall be brought to destruction; Her king shall be as a twig upon the waters.

8 The high places of Aven, where Israel sinned, will be demolished, and thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. Then they will call to the mountains, “Bury us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars. And they shall say to the mountains, Cover us! And to the hills, Fall on us!

9 Since the days of Gibeah you have been sinning, Israel, and you haven't changed. Do the people of Gibeah think that war will not come to them?

More than in the days of Gibeah hast thou sinned, O Israel! There they stood; The battle in Gibeah against the sons of iniquity did not overtake them.

10 When I choose I will punish the wicked. The nations will be gathered together against them when they are punished for their double crime.

Now will I chastise them according to my pleasure, And the nations shall be gathered together against them, When I shall bind them for their two iniquities.

11 Ephraim is like a trained heifer that loved to thresh the grain, but now I will place a yoke on her strong neck. I will harness Ephraim; Judah will have to pull the plough; and Jacob must break up the ground for himself.

Ephraim is a trained heifer, that loveth to tread out the corn; But I will lay the yoke upon her fair neck; I will cause Ephraim to draw, Judah shall plough, Jacob shall harrow.

12 Sow for yourselves what is right and you will reap unfailing love. Break up the unploughed ground. It's time to go to the Lord until he comes and rains down goodness on you.

Sow for yourselves to righteousness, and ye shall reap according to your piety; Break up your fallow ground; For it is a time to seek Jehovah, Till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 But instead you have planted wickedness and reaped an evil harvest. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own strength and in your many warriors.

Ye plough wickedness, ye shall reap injustice; Ye shall eat the fruit of falsehood. Because thou trustest in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men,

14 The terrifying noise of battle will rise against your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed, just as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel in the time of war. Even mothers and children were dashed to pieces.

There shall arise a tumult among thy people, And all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Betharbel in the day of battle, When the mother was dashed in pieces with her children.

15 This is what will happen to you, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. At dawn, the king of Israel will be utterly destroyed.

Such things shall Bethel bring upon you Because of your great wickedness. In the morning shall the king of Israel be destroyed.