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 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 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 shall they suffer for it; He will break down their altars, And destroy their images.

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 soon shall they say, We have no king, Because we fear not Jehovah; What can a king do for 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.

They utter empty words, Swearing falsely, making covenants, And now judgment springeth up, as hemlock 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.

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 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.

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

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

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!”

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 “Israel, you have sinned since the days of Gibeah; there you have remained. Will not war overtake the sons of wrong 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 desire it, I will discipline them. The nations will gather together against them and put them in bonds for their double iniquity.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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

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