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 is a leafy vine, its fruit has been suitable to him. According to the multitude of his fruit, he has multiplied altars; according to the fertility of his land, he has abounded with graven images.

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

His heart has been divided, so now they will cross the divide. He will break apart their images; he will plunder their sanctuaries.

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

For now they will say, “We have no king. For we do not fear the Lord. And what would 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.

You speak words about a useless vision, and you will strike a deal. And judgment will spring up like bitterness in the furrows of the 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 inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the calf of Bethaven. For the keepers of its temple, who had exulted over it in its glory, and its people, have mourned over it because it migrated from there.

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.

If, indeed, it also has been offered to Assur, as a gift for the Avenging king, confusion will seize Ephraim, and Israel will be confounded by his own will.

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

Samaria has required her king to pass by, like foam on the face 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.

And the heights of the idol, the sin of Israel, will be utterly destroyed. The burr and the thistle will rise up over their altars. And 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.

From the days of Gibeah, Israel has sinned; in this, they remained firm. The battle in Gibeah against the sons of iniquity will not take hold of them.

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;

According to my desire, I will correct them. And the peoples will be gathered together over them, while they are chastised for their two iniquities.

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 heifer that has been taught to love treading out the grain, but I passed over the beauty of her neck. I will rise over Ephraim. Judah will plough; Jacob will break up the soil for himself.

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 in justice, and harvest in the mouth of mercy; renew your fallow land. But the time when you will seek the Lord is the time when he will arrive who will teach you justice.

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 ploughed impiety; you have harvested iniquity; you have eaten the fruit of lies. For you had confidence in your ways, in the multitude of your good fortunes.

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.

A tumult will arise among your people. And all your fortifications will be laid waste, just as Salman was destroyed by the house of him that judged Baal on the day of the battle, the mother having been crushed against her sons.

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

So has Bethel done to you, before the face of your malicious wickedness.