Hosea 10

1 “Israel [is] an empty vine, He makes fruit like to himself, According to the abundance of his fruit, He has multiplied for the altars, According to the goodness of his land, They have made good standing-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 Their heart has been divided, now they are guilty, He breaks down their altars, He destroys their standing-pillars.

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

3 For now they say: We have no king, Because we have not feared YHWH, And the king—what does he 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 have spoken words, To swear falsehood in making a covenant, And flourished as a poisonous herb has judgment, on 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 For the inhabitants of Samaria fear the calves of Beth-Aven, Surely its people have mourned on account of it, And its priests leap about on account of it, Because of its glory, for it has removed from it,

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 Also, it is carried to Asshur, a present to a warlike king, Ephraim receives shame, And Israel is ashamed of its own counsel.

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 is cut off! Its king [is] as wrath on the face of the waters.

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

8 And high places of Aven have been destroyed, the sin of Israel. Thorn and bramble go up on their altars, And they have said to hills, Cover us, And to heights, 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 From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, There they have stood, Battle does not overtake them in Gibeah, Because of sons of perverseness.

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 desire, then I bind them, And peoples have gathered against them, When they bind themselves to their two iniquities.

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 And Ephraim [is] a trained heifer—loving to thresh, And I have passed over on the goodness of its neck, I cause [one] to ride Ephraim, Judah plows, Jacob harrows for him.

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 in righteousness, Reap according to loving-kindness, Till for yourselves tillage of knowledge, To seek YHWH, Until He comes and shows righteousness to 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 You have plowed wickedness, Perversity you have reaped, You have eaten the fruit of lying, For you have trusted in your way, In the abundance of your might.

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 And a tumult rises among your people, And all your fortresses are spoiled, As the spoiling of Shalman of Beth-Arbel, In a day of battle, Mother against sons dashed in 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 Thus has Beth-El done to you, Because of the evil of your wickedness, In the dawn a king of Israel is utterly cut off!”

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