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

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

3 For, now, will they say, We have no king, —for we revere not Yahweh, and what could, 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 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 utter empty words, Swearing falsely, making covenants, And now judgment springeth up, as hemlock 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.

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 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.

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

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

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, 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 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.

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 please, then will I chastise them, —and there shall be gathered together against them—peoples, they being harnessed 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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

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