Hosea 10

Contemporary English Version

10 You were a healthy vine
    covered with grapes.
But the more grapes you grew,
    the more altars you built;
the better off you became,
the better shrines you set up
    for pagan gods.
² You are deceitful and disloyal.
So you will pay
    for your sins,
because the Lord will destroy
    your altars and images.

³ “We don't have a king,”
    you will say.
“We don't fear the Lord.
    And what good are kings?”
⁴ Israel, you break treaties
    and don't keep promises;
you turn justice
    into poisonous weeds
where healthy plants should grow.^[a]

⁵ All who live in Samaria tremble
with concern for the idols^[b]
    at sinful Bethel.^[c]
The idol there was the pride
    of the priests,
but it has been put to shame;
    now everyone will cry.
⁶ It will be taken to Assyria
    and given to the great king.
Then Israel will be disgraced
    for worshiping that idol.

⁷ Like a twig in a stream,
the king of Samaria
    will be swept away.
^8 (A) The altars at sinful Bethel
will be destroyed
    for causing Israel to sin;
they will be grown over
    with thorns and thistles.
Then everyone will beg
the mountains and hills
    to cover and protect them.

¹¹ Once you were obedient
like a calf
    that loved to thresh grain.
But I will put a harness
    on your beautiful neck;
you and Judah must plow
    and cultivate the ground.
^12 (C) Plow your fields,
scatter seeds of justice,
    and harvest faithfulness.
Worship me, the Lord,
and I will send my saving power
    down like rain.
¹³ You have planted evil,
harvested injustice, and eaten
    the fruit of your lies.
You trusted your own strength
    and your powerful forces.
¹⁴ So war will break out,
and your fortresses
    will be destroyed.
Your enemies will do to you
what Shalman^[g] did to the people
    of Beth-Arbel—
mothers and their children
will be beaten to death
    against rocks.
¹⁵ Bethel, this will be your fate
    because of your evil.
Israel, at dawn your king
    will be killed.