Hosea 10
1 'An empty vine [is] Israel, Fruit he maketh like to himself, According to the abundance of his fruit, He hath multiplied for the altars, According to the goodness of his land, They have made goodly standing-pillars.
A luxuriant vine is Israel. He bore fruit lavishly. In proportion to the increase of his fruit he increased altars to idols. In proportion to the beauty of his land he made beautiful the sacred pillars.
2 Their heart hath been divided, now they are guilty, He doth break down their altars, He doth destroy their standing-pillars.
Their heart is false, now they must be punished. God himself will break the necks of their altars, he will destroy their sacred pillars.
3 For now they say: We have no king, Because we have not feared Jehovah, And the king — what doth he for us?
Yes, soon they will be saying, “We have no king, for we have not revered the Lord, and a king, what could he do for us anyway?”
4 They have spoken words, To swear falsehood in making a covenant, And flourished as a poisonous herb hath judgment, on the furrows of a field.
Speaking words, perjuring themselves, making agreements, and litigation springs up like a poisonous weed in a plowed field.
5 For the calves of Beth-Aven fear do inhabitants of Samaria, Surely mourned on account of it hath its people, And its priests on account of it leap about, Because of its honour, for it hath removed from it,
The inhabitants of Samaria will tremble with fear for their calf of Beth-aven. Its people will mourn over it, and so will its priests, who had rejoiced for its glory, now departed from it.
6 Also it to Asshur is carried, a present to a warlike king, Shame doth Ephraim receive, And ashamed is Israel of its own counsel.
It will be carried off to Assyria as a present to the patron king. Disgrace will Ephraim bear and Israel will be ashamed of its idol.
7 Cut off is Samaria! Its king [is] as a chip on the face of the waters.
As for Samaria, her king will disappear, like foam on the face of the waters.
8 And destroyed have been high places of Aven, the sin of Israel. Thorn and bramble go up on their altars, And they have said to hills, Cover us, And to heights, Fall upon us.
And the high places of Aven will be destroyed, the shrines of Israel’s sin, thorns and thistles will grow on their altars, and they will say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall upon us.”
9 From the days of Gibeah thou hast sinned, O Israel, There they have stood, Not overtake them in Gibeah doth battle, Because of sons of perverseness.
From the time of Gibeah, Israel has sinned. There they took their stand. Will not war overtake them in Gibeah because of the wicked?
10 When I desire, then I do bind them, And gathered against them have peoples, When they bind themselves to their two iniquities.
When I please, I will punish them. Nations will gather against them to chain them for their double crimes.
11 And Ephraim [is] a trained heifer — loving to thresh, And I — I have passed over on the goodness of its neck, I cause [one] to ride Ephraim, Plough doth Judah, harrow for him doth Jacob.
Ephraim indeed was a trained heifer that loved to thresh grain, and I myself laid a yoke upon his fair neck, I made Ephraim draw and Judah must plow, Jacob must turn the soil for himself.
12 Sow for yourselves in righteousness, Reap according to loving-kindness, Till for yourselves tillage of knowledge, To seek Jehovah, Till he come and shew righteousness to you.
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruits of love. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, so righteousness may come to you.
13 Ye have ploughed wickedness, Perversity ye have reaped, Ye have eaten the fruit of lying, For thou hast trusted in thy way, In the abundance of thy might.
But you have plowed wickedness, iniquity have you reaped. You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own path, in the multitude of your warriors,
14 And rise doth a tumult among thy people, And all thy fortresses are spoiled, As the spoiling of Shalman of Beth-Arbel, In a day of battle, Mother against sons dashed in pieces.
the alarm of war will sound in your cities and all your fortresses will be ruined, as Shalman laid in ruins Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces over their children.
15 Thus hath Beth-El done to you, Because of the evil of your wickedness, In the dawn cut off utterly is a king of Israel!
Thus will I do to you, Bethel, because of the enormity of your wickedness. When dawn breaks, so will the king of Israel be broken.
