Hosea 10

1 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.

Israel a vine full of branches, the fruit is agreeable to it: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath multiplied altars, according to the plenty of his land he hath abounded with idols.

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

Their heart is divided: now they shall perish: he shall break down their idols, he shall destroy their altars.

3 For then they will say, “We have no king, for we did not fear Yahweh, and a king—what could he do for us?”

For now they shall say: We have no king: because we fear not the Lord: and what shall a king do to us?

4 They speak empty words and make covenants by swearing falsely. So justice springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

You speak words of an unprofitable vision, and you shall make a covenant: and judgment shall spring up as bitterness in the furrows of the field.

5 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.

The inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the king of Bethaven: for the people thereof have mourned over it, and the wardens of its temple that rejoiced over it in its glory because it is departed from it.

6 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.

For itself also is carried into Assyria, a present to the avenging king: shame shall fall upon Ephraim, and Israel shall be confounded in his own will.

7 Samaria's king will be destroyed, like a chip of wood on the surface of the water.

Samaria hath made her king to pass as froth upon the face of the water.

8 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!”

And the high places of the idol, the sin of Israel shall be destroyed: the bur and the thistle shall grow up over their altars: and they shall say to the mountains: Cover us; and to the hills: Fall upon us.

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

From the days of Gabaa, Israel hath sinned, there they stood: the battle in Gabaa against the children of iniquity shall not overtake them.

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

According to my desire I will chastise them: and the nations shall be gathered together against them, when they shall be chastised for their two iniquities.

11 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.

Ephraim is a heifer taught to love to tread out corn, but I passed over upon the beauty of her neck: I will ride upon Ephraim, Juda shall plough, Jacob shall break the furrows for himself.

12 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.

Sow for yourselves in justice, and reap in the mouth of mercy, break up your fallow ground: but the time to seek the Lord is, when he shall come that shall teach you justice.

13 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.

You have ploughed wickedness, you have reaped iniquity, you have eaten the fruit of lying: because thou hast trusted in thy ways, in the multitude of thy strong ones.

14 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.

A tumult shall arise among thy people: and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed as Salmana was destroyed, by the house of him that judged Baal in the day of battle, the mother being dashed in pieces upon her children.

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

So hath Bethel done to you, because of the evil of your iniquities.