הוֹשֵׁעַ 10

1 גֶּ֤פֶן בֹּוקֵק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל פְּרִ֖י יְשַׁוֶּה־לֹּ֑ו כְּרֹ֣ב לְפִרְיֹ֗ו הִרְבָּה֙ לַֽמִּזְבְּחֹ֔ות כְּטֹ֣וב לְאַרְצֹ֔ו הֵיטִ֖יבוּ מַצֵּבֹֽות׃

Israel is like a spreading vine that produces fruit for itself. The more fruit they produced, the more altars they built. The more productive the land, the more beautiful they made the sacred pillars.

2 חָלַ֥ק לִבָּ֖ם עַתָּ֣ה יֶאְשָׁ֑מוּ ה֚וּא יַעֲרֹ֣ף מִזְבְּחֹותָ֔ם יְשֹׁדֵ֖ד מַצֵּבֹותָֽם׃

The people have minds that are deceptive, and now they must take responsibility for their guilt. The Lord will break apart their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.

3 כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ לָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָרֵ֙אנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־יַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽנוּ׃

Then they will say, “We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord, and yet what would a king do for us?”

4 דִּבְּר֣וּ דְבָרִ֔ים אָלֹ֥ות שָׁ֖וְא כָּרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֑ית וּפָרַ֤ח כָּרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃

They speak empty words, swearing false promises to make a covenant. Their “justice” flourishes like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

5 לְעֶגְלֹות֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן יָג֖וּרוּ שְׁכַ֣ן שֹֽׁמְרֹ֑ון כִּי־אָבַ֨ל עָלָ֜יו עַמֹּ֗ו וּכְמָרָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יָגִ֔ילוּ עַל־כְּבֹודֹ֖ו כִּֽי־גָלָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Those who live in Samaria tremble in awe at the calf of Beth-aven. Its people mourn for it in their pagan rituals, while its idolatrous priests celebrate its glory. But it will certainly be taken away from them. It will be brought to Assyria as tribute for the great king.

6 גַּם־אֹותֹו֙ לְאַשּׁ֣וּר יוּבָ֔ל מִנְחָ֖ה לְמֶ֣לֶךְ יָרֵ֑ב בָּשְׁנָה֙ אֶפְרַ֣יִם יִקָּ֔ח וְיֵבֹ֥ושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעֲצָתֹֽו׃

Ephraim will be disgraced, and Israel will be ashamed at its own decisions.

7 נִדְמֶ֥ה שֹׁמְרֹ֖ון מַלְכָּ֑הּ כְּקֶ֖צֶף עַל־פְּנֵי־מָֽיִם׃

Samaria and its king will be destroyed, swept away like a twig on the surface of the water.

8 וְנִשְׁמְד֞וּ בָּמֹ֣ות אָ֗וֶן חַטַּאת֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל קֹ֣וץ וְדַרְדַּ֔ר יַעֲלֶ֖ה עַל־מִזְבְּחֹותָ֑ם וְאָמְר֤וּ לֶֽהָרִים֙ כַּסּ֔וּנוּ וְלַגְּבָעֹ֖ות נִפְל֥וּ עָלֵֽינוּ׃ ס

The high places of Aven, where Israel sinned, will be demolished, and thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. Then they will call to the mountains, “Bury us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

9 מִימֵי֙ הַגִּבְעָ֔ה חָטָ֖אתָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שָׁ֣ם עָמָ֔דוּ לֹֽא־תַשִּׂיגֵ֧ם בַּגִּבְעָ֛ה מִלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־בְּנֵ֥י עַֽלְוָֽה׃

Since the days of Gibeah you have been sinning, Israel, and you haven't changed. Do the people of Gibeah think that war will not come to them?

10 בְּאַוָּתִ֖י וְאֶסֳּרֵ֑ם וְאֻסְּפ֤וּ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ עַמִּ֔ים בְּאָסְרָ֖ם לִשְׁתֵּ֥י עֵינֹתָם (עֹונֹתָֽם)׃

When I choose I will punish the wicked. The nations will be gathered together against them when they are punished for their double crime.

11 וְאֶפְרַ֜יִם עֶגְלָ֤ה מְלֻמָּדָה֙ אֹהַ֣בְתִּי לָד֔וּשׁ וַאֲנִ֣י עָבַ֔רְתִּי עַל־ט֖וּב צַוָּארָ֑הּ אַרְכִּ֤יב אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ יַחֲרֹ֣ושׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה יְשַׂדֶּד־לֹ֖ו יַעֲקֹֽב׃

Ephraim is like a trained heifer that loved to thresh the grain, but now I will place a yoke on her strong neck. I will harness Ephraim; Judah will have to pull the plough; and Jacob must break up the ground for himself.

12 זִרְע֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לִצְדָקָה֙ קִצְר֣וּ לְפִי־חֶ֔סֶד נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְעֵת֙ לִדְרֹ֣ושׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַד־יָבֹ֕וא וְיֹרֶ֥ה צֶ֖דֶק לָכֶֽם׃

Sow for yourselves what is right and you will reap unfailing love. Break up the unploughed ground. It's time to go to the Lord until he comes and rains down goodness on you.

13 חֲרַשְׁתֶּם־רֶ֛שַׁע עַוְלָ֥תָה קְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֲכַלְתֶּ֣ם פְּרִי־כָ֑חַשׁ כִּֽי־בָטַ֥חְתָּ בְדַרְכְּךָ֖ בְּרֹ֥ב גִּבֹּורֶֽיךָ׃

But instead you have planted wickedness and reaped an evil harvest. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own strength and in your many warriors.

14 וְקָ֣אם שָׁאֹון֮ בְּעַמֶּךָ֒ וְכָל־מִבְצָרֶ֣יךָ יוּשַּׁ֔ד כְּשֹׁ֧ד שַֽׁלְמַ֛ן בֵּ֥ית אַֽרְבֵ֖אל בְּיֹ֣ום מִלְחָמָ֑ה אֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנִ֖ים רֻטָּֽשָׁה׃

The terrifying noise of battle will rise against your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed, just as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel in the time of war. Even mothers and children were dashed to pieces.

15 כָּ֗כָה עָשָׂ֤ה לָכֶם֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל מִפְּנֵ֖י רָעַ֣ת רָֽעַתְכֶ֑ם בַּשַּׁ֕חַר נִדְמֹ֥ה נִדְמָ֖ה מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

This is what will happen to you, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. At dawn, the king of Israel will be utterly destroyed.