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Chapter 10

Destruction of Idolatrous Cultic Objects

(A)Israel is a luxuriant vine
    whose fruit matches its growth.
The more abundant his fruit,
    the more altars he built;
The more productive his land,
    the more sacred pillars[a] he set up.
Their heart is false!
    Now they will pay for their guilt:
God will break down their altars
    and destroy their sacred pillars.
For now they will say,
    “We have no king![b]
Since we do not fear the Lord,
    the king—what could he do for us?”

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Footnotes

  1. 10:1 Sacred pillars: see note on 3:4.
  2. 10:3 No king: the instability of the monarchy (7:3–7) and its vassalage to foreign kings (7:8–16) render the monarchy ineffective. The kings do the opposite of what they are supposed to do (10:4).

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?”

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Samaria and her king will disappear,
    like a twig upon the waters.
The high places of Aven[a] will be destroyed,
    the sin of Israel;
    thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars.
Then they will cry out to the mountains, “Cover us!”
    and to the hills, “Fall upon us!”(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 10:8 Aven: wickedness, first of all at Bethel (v. 5), but also at all the high places.

Samaria’s king will be destroyed,(A)
    swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
The high places(B) of wickedness[a](C) will be destroyed—
    it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns(D) and thistles will grow up
    and cover their altars.(E)
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”(F)
    and to the hills, “Fall on us!”(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:8 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see verse 5.

12 “Sow for yourselves justice,
    reap the reward of loyalty;
Break up for yourselves a new field,(A)
    for it is time to seek the Lord,
    till he comes and rains justice upon you.”(B)

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12 Sow(A) righteousness(B) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;(C)
    for it is time to seek(D) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness(E) on you.

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