Hosea 10

¹ Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built.
The better his land produced,
the better he made his sacred pillars.

² Their heart is divided;
now they must bear their guilt.
He will break down their altars
and destroy their sacred pillars.

³ Surely now they will say,
"We have no king,
for we do not fear the LORD.
And a king — what could he do for us?"

⁴ They speak mere words,
swearing false oaths, making covenants.
So judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds
in the furrows of the field.

⁵ The residents of Samaria will fear
for the calf of Beth-aven.
Its people will mourn over it,
and its idolatrous priests will tremble for it,
for its glory — because it has departed from them.

⁶ It will be carried to Assyria
as tribute to the great king.
Ephraim will be put to shame,
and Israel will be ashamed of his own counsel.

⁷ Samaria and her king will be cut off
like a twig on the surface of the water.

⁸ The high places of Aven will be destroyed —
the sin of Israel.
Thorns and thistles will grow up
over their altars.
They will say to the mountains, "Cover us!"
and to the hills, "Fall on us!"

⁹ Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel;
there they have remained.
Will not war overtake them in Gibeah
against the sons of wickedness?

¹⁰ When I please, I will discipline them,
and nations will be gathered against them
when they are bound for their double guilt.

¹¹ Ephraim is a trained heifer
that loves to thresh,
and I spared her fair neck.
But I will put Ephraim to the yoke;
Judah must plow;
Jacob must harrow for himself.

¹² Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap according to faithful love.
Break up your unplowed ground,
for it is time to seek the LORD
until he comes and rains righteousness on you.

¹³ You have plowed wickedness;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you trusted in your own way,
in the multitude of your warriors,

¹⁴ the tumult of war will rise against your people,
and all your fortresses will be destroyed —
as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
when mothers were dashed to pieces with their children.

¹⁵ Thus it will be done to you, Bethel,
because of your great evil.
At dawn the king of Israel
will be utterly cut off.