The Vine and the Calf

10 Israel is a lush[a] vine;(A)
it yields fruit for itself.
The more his fruit increased,
the more he increased the altars.(B)
The better his land produced,
the better they made the sacred pillars.(C)
Their hearts are devious;[b](D)
now they must bear their guilt.(E)
The Lord will break down their altars(F)
and demolish their sacred pillars.
In fact, they are now saying,
“We have no king!
For we do not fear the Lord.(G)
What can a king do for us?”
They speak mere words,
taking false oaths while making covenants.(H)
So lawsuits break out
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.(I)

The residents of Samaria(J) will have anxiety
over the calf(K) of Beth-aven.(L)
Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it;
the people will mourn over it,
over its glory.(M)
It will certainly go into exile.
The calf itself will be taken to Assyria(N)
as an offering to the great king.[c](O)
Ephraim will experience shame;(P)
Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.(Q)
Samaria’s king will disappear[d](R)
like foam[e] on the surface of the water.
The high places(S) of Aven, the sin of Israel,(T)
will be destroyed;
thorns and thistles will grow over their altars.(U)
They will say to the mountains,(V) “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall on us!” (W)

Israel’s Defeat because of Sin

Israel, you have sinned
since the days of Gibeah;(X)
they have taken their stand there.
Will not war against the unjust
overtake them in Gibeah?
10 I will discipline(Y) them at my discretion;(Z)
nations will be gathered against them
to put them in bondage[f]
for their double iniquity.(AA)

11 Ephraim is a well-trained calf(AB)
that loves to thresh,
but I will place a yoke on[g] her fine neck.(AC)
I will harness Ephraim;(AD)
Judah will plow;
Jacob will do the final plowing.
12 Sow righteousness for yourselves(AE)
and reap faithful love;
break up your unplowed ground.(AF)
It is time to seek the Lord(AG)
until he comes(AH) and sends righteousness
on you like the rain.(AI)

13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice;(AJ)
you have eaten the fruit of lies.(AK)
Because you have trusted in your own way[h]
and in your large number of soldiers,(AL)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
and all your fortifications will be demolished(AM)
in a day of war,
like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel.
Mothers will be dashed to pieces
along with their children.(AN)
15 So it will be done to you, Bethel,(AO)
because of your extreme evil.
At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.

Footnotes

  1. 10:1 Or ravaged
  2. 10:2 Or divided
  3. 10:6 Or to King Yareb
  4. 10:7 Or will be cut off
  5. 10:7 Or a stick
  6. 10:10 LXX, Syr, Vg read against them when they are disciplined
  7. 10:11 Lit will pass over
  8. 10:13 LXX reads your chariots

The Lord’s Love for Israel

11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,(A)
and out of Egypt I called my son.(B)
Israel called to the Egyptians(C)
even as Israel was leaving them.[a]
They kept sacrificing to the Baals(D)
and burning offerings to idols.(E)
It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,(F)
taking them[b] by the hand,[c](G)
but they never knew that I healed them.(H)
I led them with human cords,
with ropes of love.(I)
To them I was like one
who eases the yoke from their jaws;(J)
I bent down to give them food.(K)
Israel will not return to the land of Egypt
and Assyria will be his king,(L)
because they refused to repent.(M)
A sword will whirl through his cities;(N)
it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates,[d](O)
because of their schemes.(P)
My people are bent on turning from me.(Q)
Though they call to him on high,
he will not exalt them at all.

How can I give you up, Ephraim?(R)
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?(S)
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?(T)
I have had a change of heart;
my compassion is stirred!
I will not vent the full fury of my anger;(U)
I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim.(V)
For I am God and not man,
the Holy One among you;(W)
I will not come in rage.[e]
10 They will follow the Lord;(X)
he will roar like a lion.(Y)
When he roars,
his children will come trembling from the west.(Z)
11 They will be roused like birds from Egypt
and like doves(AA) from the land of Assyria.(AB)
Then I will settle them in their homes.(AC)

This is the Lord’s declaration.

12 Ephraim surrounds me with lies,(AD)
the house of Israel, with deceit.
Judah still wanders with God
and is faithful to the holy ones.[f]

Footnotes

  1. 11:2 Lit They called to them; thus they went from before them
  2. 11:3 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads him
  3. 11:3 Lit them on his arms
  4. 11:6 Or devour his empty talkers, or devour his limbs; Hb obscure
  5. 11:9 Or come into any city; Hb obscure
  6. 11:12 Hb obscure

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