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Israel Is Like a Rotten Vine

10 The people of Israel are like vines that used to produce fruit.
    The more fruit they produced,
        the more altars they built.
    The more their land produced,
        the more stone markers they set up to honor other gods.
They are hypocrites. Now they must take their punishment.
    Elohim will tear down their altars and destroy their stone markers.
        So they’ll say,
            “We have no king because we didn’t fear Yahweh.
        Even if we had a king, he couldn’t do anything for us.”
They say many things. They lie when they take oaths,
    and they make promises they don’t intend to keep.
        That’s why lawsuits spring up
            like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

Those who live in Samaria fear the calf-shaped idol at Beth Aven.
    The people will mourn over it.
    The priests will cry loudly
        because its glory will be taken away into captivity.
The thing itself will be carried to Assyria
    as a present to the great king.[a]
        Ephraim will be disgraced.
        Israel will be ashamed because of its plans.
The king of Samaria will be carried away
    like a piece of wood on water.
The illegal worship sites of Aven will be destroyed.
    Israel sins there.
    Thorns and weeds will grow over those altars.
        People will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
            and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
Israel, you have sinned ever since the incident at Gibeah.
    You never change.
        War will overtake the wicked people in Gibeah.
10 “I will punish them when I’m ready.
    Armies will gather to attack them.
        They will be punished for their many sins.

Israel Is Like a Cow That Threshed Grain

11 “Ephraim is like a trained calf that loves to thresh[b] grain.
    I will put a yoke[c] on its beautiful neck.
    I will harness Ephraim.
        Judah must plow.
        Jacob must break up the ground.

12 “Break new ground.
    Plant righteousness,
        and harvest the fruit that your loyalty will produce for me.”

It’s time to seek Yahweh!
    When he comes, he will rain righteousness on you.
13 You have planted wickedness and harvested evil.
    You have eaten the fruit that your lies produced.
    You have trusted your own power and your many warriors.
14 So your army will hear the noise of battle.
    All your fortresses will be destroyed
        like the time Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in battle.
            Mothers and their children were smashed to death.
15 This is what will happen to you, Bethel,
    because you have done many wicked things.
        At daybreak, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:6 Or “to King Jareb.”
  2. Hosea 10:11 Threshing is the process of beating stalks to separate them from the grain.
  3. Hosea 10:11 A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts.

10 Israel was a spreading vine;(A)
    he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
    he built more altars;(B)
as his land prospered,(C)
    he adorned his sacred stones.(D)
Their heart is deceitful,(E)
    and now they must bear their guilt.(F)
The Lord will demolish their altars(G)
    and destroy their sacred stones.(H)

Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us?”
They make many promises,
    take false oaths(I)
    and make agreements;(J)
therefore lawsuits spring up
    like poisonous weeds(K) in a plowed field.
The people who live in Samaria fear
    for the calf-idol(L) of Beth Aven.[a](M)
Its people will mourn over it,
    and so will its idolatrous priests,(N)
those who had rejoiced over its splendor,
    because it is taken from them into exile.(O)
It will be carried to Assyria(P)
    as tribute(Q) for the great king.(R)
Ephraim will be disgraced;(S)
    Israel will be ashamed(T) of its foreign alliances.
Samaria’s king will be destroyed,(U)
    swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
The high places(V) of wickedness[b](W) will be destroyed—
    it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns(X) and thistles will grow up
    and cover their altars.(Y)
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”(Z)
    and to the hills, “Fall on us!”(AA)

“Since the days of Gibeah,(AB) you have sinned,(AC) Israel,
    and there you have remained.[c]
Will not war again overtake
    the evildoers in Gibeah?
10 When I please, I will punish(AD) them;
    nations will be gathered against them
    to put them in bonds for their double sin.
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer
    that loves to thresh;
so I will put a yoke(AE)
    on her fair neck.
I will drive Ephraim,
    Judah must plow,
    and Jacob must break up the ground.
12 Sow(AF) righteousness(AG) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;(AH)
    for it is time to seek(AI) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness(AJ) on you.
13 But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,(AK)
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.(AL)
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors,(AM)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
    so that all your fortresses will be devastated(AN)
as Shalman(AO) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
    when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.(AP)
15 So will it happen to you, Bethel,
    because your wickedness is great.
When that day dawns,
    the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:5 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
  2. Hosea 10:8 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see verse 5.
  3. Hosea 10:9 Or there a stand was taken