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 produces his fruit. As his fruit increased, the more altars he built. As his land produced more, he improved his pillars.

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 deceitful; now they must bear their guilt. Yahweh will demolish their altars; he will destroy their pillars.

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

For then they will say, “We have no king, for we did not fear Yahweh, and a king—what could he 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 empty words and make covenants by swearing falsely. So justice 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 inhabitants of Samaria will be afraid because of the calves of Beth Aven. Its people mourned over them, as did those idolatrous priests who had rejoiced over them and their splendor, but they are no longer 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.

They will be carried to Assyria as a present for the great king. Ephraim will be disgraced, and Israel will be ashamed of its idol.

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

Samaria's king will be destroyed, like a chip of wood 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 wickedness will be destroyed. This is the sin of Israel! Thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. The people 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.

“Israel, you have sinned since the days of Gibeah; there you have remained. Will not war overtake the sons of wrong in Gibeah?

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;

When I desire it, I will discipline them. The nations will gather together against them and put them in bonds for their double iniquity.

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 loves to thresh the grain, so I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will put a yoke on Ephraim; Judah will plow; Jacob will pull the harrow by 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 righteousness for yourselves, and reap the fruit of covenant faithfulness. Break up your unplowed ground, for it is time to seek Yahweh, until he comes and rains righteousness on 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.

You have plowed wickedness; you reaped injustice. You have eaten the fruit of deception because you trusted in your plans and in your many soldiers.

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.

So a tumult of war will rise among your people, and all your fortified cities will be destroyed. It will be as Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel on a day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces 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.

So it will happen to you, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. At daybreak the king of Israel will be completely cut off.”