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11 “Israel[a] is like a trained heifer treading out the grain—
    an easy job she loves.
    But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck.
I will force Judah to pull the plow
    and Israel[b] to break up the hard ground.
12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
    and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
    for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
    and shower righteousness upon you.’

13 “But you have cultivated wickedness
    and harvested a thriving crop of sins.
You have eaten the fruit of lies—
    trusting in your military might,
believing that great armies
    could make your nation safe.

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Footnotes

  1. 10:11a Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.
  2. 10:11b Hebrew Jacob. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation.

11 Ephraim was a trained heifer,
    that loved to thresh grain,
and I myself spared[a]
    the fairness of her neck;
I will make Ephraim break the ground,
    Judah will plow,
    Jacob must till for himself.
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
    reap loyal love.[b]
Break up for yourself fallow ground;
    it is time to seek Yahweh
so he will come and rain
    righteousness upon you.
13 You have plowed wickedness,
    you have reaped injustice,
you have eaten the fruit of lies,[c]
    because you have trusted in your strength,
    in the multitude of your warriors.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:11 Literally “passed over”
  2. Hosea 10:12 Literally “reap according to loyal love”
  3. Hosea 10:13 Hebrew “lie”