Hosea 10

1 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.

Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.

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

Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

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

Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”

4 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.

They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

5 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.

The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into exile.

6 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.

Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.

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

Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

8 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.

The high places of Aven will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

9 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.

Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

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

I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.

11 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.

Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.

12 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.

Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

13 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.

You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your mighty men,

14 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.

the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.

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

Thus it will be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day dawns, the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.