Israel’s Sin and Captivity

10 Israel (A)empties his vine;
He brings forth fruit for himself.
According to the multitude of his fruit
(B)He has increased the altars;
According to the bounty of his land
They have embellished his sacred pillars.
Their heart is (C)divided;[a]
Now they are held guilty.
He will break down their altars;
He will ruin their sacred pillars.

For now they say,
“We have no king,
Because we did not fear the Lord.
And as for a king, what would he do for us?”
They have spoken words,
Swearing falsely in making a covenant.
Thus judgment springs up (D)like hemlock in the furrows of the field.

The inhabitants of Samaria fear
Because of the (E)calf[b] of Beth Aven.
For its people mourn for it,
And [c]its priests shriek for it—
Because its (F)glory has departed from it.
The idol also shall be carried to Assyria
As a present for King (G)Jareb.
Ephraim shall receive shame,
And Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

As for Samaria, her king is cut off
Like a twig on the water.
Also the (H)high places of [d]Aven, (I)the sin of Israel,
Shall be destroyed.
The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars;
(J)They shall say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
And to the hills, “Fall on us!”

“O Israel, you have sinned from the days of (K)Gibeah;
There they stood.
The (L)battle in Gibeah against the children of [e]iniquity
Did not [f]overtake them.
10 When it is My desire, I will chasten them.
(M)Peoples shall be gathered against them
When I bind them [g]for their two transgressions.
11 Ephraim is (N)a trained heifer
That loves to thresh grain;
But I harnessed her fair neck,
I will make Ephraim [h]pull a plow.
Judah shall plow;
Jacob shall break his clods.”

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
(O)Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He (P)comes and rains righteousness on you.

13 (Q)You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.
14 Therefore tumult shall arise among your people,
And all your fortresses shall be plundered
As Shalman plundered Beth Arbel in the day of battle—
A mother dashed in pieces upon her children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
Because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel
Shall be cut off utterly.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:2 Divided in loyalty
  2. Hosea 10:5 Lit. calves, images
  3. Hosea 10:5 idolatrous priests
  4. Hosea 10:8 Lit. Idolatry or Wickedness
  5. Hosea 10:9 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Vg.; MT unruliness
  6. Hosea 10:9 Or overcome
  7. Hosea 10:10 Or in their two habitations
  8. Hosea 10:11 Lit. to ride

10 Israel is a luxuriant vine, that putteth forth his fruit: according to the abundance of his fruit he hath multiplied his altars; according to the [a]goodness of their land they have made goodly [b]pillars. [c]Their heart is [d]divided; now shall they be found guilty: he will smite their altars, he will destroy their [e]pillars. Surely now shall they say, We have no king; for we fear not Jehovah; and the king, what can he do for us?

They speak vain words, [f]swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment [g]springeth up as [h]hemlock in the furrows of the field. The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in terror for the calves of Beth-aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and [i]the priests thereof that rejoiced over it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. It also shall be carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel. [j]As for Samaria, her king is cut off, as [k]foam upon the water. 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. O Israel, thou hast sinned [l]from the days of Gibeah: [m]there they stood; [n]the battle against the children of iniquity doth not overtake them in Gibeah.

10 When it is my desire, I will chastise them; and the peoples shall be gathered against them, when they are [o]bound [p]to their two transgressions. 11 And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught, that loveth to tread out the grain; but I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will set a rider on Ephraim; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and [q]rain righteousness upon you. 13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of [r]lies; for thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. 14 Therefore shall a tumult arise [s]among thy [t]people, and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces with her children. 15 [u]So shall Beth-el do unto you because of your great wickedness: at daybreak shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:1 Or, prosperity
  2. Hosea 10:1 Or, obelisks
  3. Hosea 10:2 Or, He hath divided their heart
  4. Hosea 10:2 Or, smooth
  5. Hosea 10:2 Or, obelisks
  6. Hosea 10:4 Or, they swear falsely, they make covenants
  7. Hosea 10:4 Or, shall spring up
  8. Hosea 10:4 Hebrew rosh. See Dt. 29:18.
  9. Hosea 10:5 Hebrew Chemarim. See 2 Kin. 23:5.
  10. Hosea 10:7 Or, Samaria is cut off with her king
  11. Hosea 10:7 Or, twigs
  12. Hosea 10:9 Or, more than in the days
  13. Hosea 10:9 Or, there have they continued
  14. Hosea 10:9 Or, shall not the battle . . . Gibeah?
  15. Hosea 10:10 Or, yoked
  16. Hosea 10:10 Or, for
  17. Hosea 10:12 Or, teach you righteousness
  18. Hosea 10:13 Or, faithlessness
  19. Hosea 10:14 Or, against
  20. Hosea 10:14 Hebrew peoples.
  21. Hosea 10:15 Or, So shall it be done unto you at Beth-el