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You Have Sinned, O Israel

10 Israel is a [a]luxuriant (A)vine;
He produces fruit for himself.
The more abundant his fruit,
The more altars he (B)abounded;
The better his land,
The better [b]he made the sacred (C)pillars.
Their heart is [c](D)faithless;
Now they must bear their (E)guilt.
[d]Yahweh will (F)break down their altars
And destroy their sacred pillars.

Surely now they will say, “We have (G)no king,
For we do not fear Yahweh.
As for the king, what can he do for us?”
They speak mere words;
[e]With (H)worthless oaths they cut covenants;
And (I)judgment flourishes like gall in the furrows of the field.
The dweller of Samaria will fear
For the [f](J)calf of (K)Beth-aven.
Indeed, its people will mourn for it,
And its (L)idolatrous priests [g]will cry out over it,
Over its (M)glory, since it has gone into exile from them.
The thing itself will be carried to (N)Assyria
As tribute to [h](O)King Jareb;
Ephraim will (P)receive shame,
And Israel will be ashamed of its (Q)own counsel.
Samaria will be (R)ruined with her king
Like a stick on the surface of the water.
Also the (S)high places of Aven, the (T)sin of Israel, will be [i]eradicated;
(U)Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars;
Then they will (V)say to the mountains,
“Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel;
There they stand!
Will not the battle against the sons of injustice overtake them in Gibeah?
10 When it is My (W)desire, I will [j](X)chastise them;
And (Y)the peoples will be gathered against them
When they are bound for their double guilt.

The Trained Heifer

11 And Ephraim is a trained (Z)heifer that loves to thresh,
But I will (AA)come over her fair neck with a yoke;
I will harness Ephraim;
Judah will plow; Jacob will harrow for himself.
12 (AB)Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with lovingkindness;
(AC)Break up your fallow ground,
Indeed, it is time to (AD)seek Yahweh
Until He (AE)comes and [k](AF)rains righteousness on you.
13 You have (AG)plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice;
You have eaten the fruit of (AH)deception.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your (AI)abundant warriors,
14 Therefore a rumbling will arise among your people,
And all your (AJ)fortifications will be destroyed,
As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
When (AK)mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your evil of evils.
At dawn the king of Israel will be completely ruined.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:1 Or degenerate
  2. Hosea 10:1 Lit they
  3. Hosea 10:2 Lit smooth
  4. Hosea 10:2 Lit He
  5. Hosea 10:4 Or Swearing falsely in cutting a covenant
  6. Hosea 10:5 As in some ancient versions; Heb heifers
  7. Hosea 10:5 Or who used to rejoice over
  8. Hosea 10:6 Or the avenging king, the great king
  9. Hosea 10:8 Or destroyed
  10. Hosea 10:10 Or bind
  11. Hosea 10:12 Or teaches

The folly of Israel’s idolatry

10 Israel is a growing vine
        that yields its fruit.
    The more his fruit increased,
        the more altars he built;
    the richer his land became,
        the more he set up sacred standing stones.
Their heart is false;
        now they must bear their guilt.
    The Lord will break down their altars
        and destroy their standing stones.
For now they will say:
        “We have no king,
    because we don’t love the Lord.
        What then could a king do for us?”
They have spoken empty words,
        swearing falsely when making covenants;
    so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds
        in the furrows of the field.
The inhabitants of Samaria shake
        because of the calf of Beth-aven.
    Its people will mourn over it,
        just as its idolatrous priests who rejoiced over its glory that is now gone.

Shame and punishment

To Assyria it will be carried
        as a gift for the great king.
    Ephraim will be put to shame;
        Israel will be ashamed of his own idol.
Samaria will be cut off;
        her king is like a chip of wood on the surface of the water.
The sin of Israel, the shrines of Aven
        will be torn down.
    Thorn and thistle will sprout up
        on their altars.
    They will say to the mountains, “Cover us,”
        to the hills, “Fall on us.”
Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel;
        there they have continued.
        Will not war overtake them in Gibeah?
10 I will come and punish them;
        nations will be gathered against them
        when they are punished for their double crime.
11 Ephraim was a trained cow that loved to pull a plow;
        I spared her fair neck;
        but I will make Ephraim break through the ground;
            Judah will plow;
            Jacob will turn the soil for himself.
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
        reap faithful love;
    break up your unplanted ground,
        for it is time to seek the Lord,
        that he may come
        and rain righteousness upon you.
13 You have plowed wickedness,
        you have reaped depravity,
        you have eaten the fruit of lies,
    because you have trusted in your way
        and in your many warriors.
14 Therefore, the noise of war will rise against your people;
        all your fortresses will be destroyed,
    as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
        when mothers were dashed into pieces with their children.
15 It will indeed happen to you, Bethel,
        because of your great wickedness.
    At dawn, the king of Israel will be cut off completely.