Hosea 10
Modern English Version
Israel’s Sin and Captivity
10 Israel is a fertile vine
that brings forth its fruit.
As his fruit multiplied,
so his altars increased;
as his land prospered,
so he[a] improved his pillars.
2 Their heart is divided;
now they must bear their guilt.
He will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars.
3 For now they will say,
“We have no king,
because we do not fear the Lord;
and a king, what could he do for us?”
4 They speak mere words,
swearing falsely
in making a covenant.
Thus judgment springs up like a poisonous plant
in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria fear
because of the calf of Beth Aven.
For its people mourn for it,
and its priests shriek for it,
because its glory has departed from it.
6 It will be carried to Assyria
as a tribute to King Jareb.[b]
Ephraim shall be put to shame,
and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.[c]
7 As for Samaria, her king will perish
like a twig on the water.
8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
will be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle will grow
on their altars.
They will say to the mountains, Cover us,
and to the hills, Fall on us.
9 O Israel, you have sinned since the days of Gibeah.
There they have continued.[d]
Will not the war in Gibeah against evildoers
overtake them?
10 When I desire, I will punish them.
The nations will be gathered against them
when they are disciplined[e] for their two transgressions.
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer
that loves to thresh grain,
but I harnessed her fair neck;
I will make Ephraim pull a plow.
Judah will plow;
Jacob shall furrow for himself.
12 Sow to yourselves righteousness,
reap mercy,
break up your fallow ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until He comes
and rains righteousness upon you.
13 You have plowed wickedness.
You have reaped iniquity,
and you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your power
and in the numbers of your warriors,
14 therefore a tumult will arise among your people,
and all your fortresses will be destroyed
as Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in the day of battle;
mothers were dashed to pieces upon their children.
15 So will it be done to you, O Bethel,
because of your great wickedness.
At dawn
the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.
Footnotes
- Hosea 10:1 Heb. they.
- Hosea 10:6 Or the great king.
- Hosea 10:6 Or counsel.
- Hosea 10:9 Or There they stood.
- Hosea 10:10 Gk.; Heb. bound.
Hosea 10
Authorized (King James) Version
10 Israel is an empty vine,
he bringeth forth fruit unto himself:
according to the multitude of his fruit
he hath increased the altars;
according to the goodness of his land
they have made goodly images.
2 Their heart is divided;
now shall they be found faulty:
he shall break down their altars,
he shall spoil their images.
3 For now they shall say, We have no king,
because we feared not the Lord;
what then should a king do to us?
4 They have spoken words,
swearing falsely in making a covenant:
thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear
because of the calves of Beth-aven:
for the people thereof shall mourn over it,
and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it,
for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.
6 It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb:
Ephraim shall receive shame,
and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.
8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed:
the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars;
and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us;
and to the hills, Fall on us.
9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah:
there they stood:
the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.
10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them;
and the people shall be gathered against them,
when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
11 And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught,
and loveth to tread out the corn;
but I passed over upon her fair neck:
I will make Ephraim to ride;
Judah shall plow,
and Jacob shall break his clods.
12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy;
break up your fallow ground:
for it is time to seek the Lord,
till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
13 Ye have plowed wickedness,
ye have reaped iniquity;
ye have eaten the fruit of lies:
because thou didst trust in thy way,
in the multitude of thy mighty men.
14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people,
and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled,
as Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle:
the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
15 So shall Beth-el do unto you
because of your great wickedness:
in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.