Hosea 10

1 Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.

2 Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

3 Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”

4 They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

5 The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn over it with its idolatrous priests—those who rejoiced in its glory—for it has been taken from them into exile.

6 Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.

7 Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

8 The high places of Aven will be destroyed—it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

9 Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

10 I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.

11 Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your mighty men,

14 the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.

15 Thus it will be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day dawns, the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.

1 ¶ 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 Bethaven: 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 Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon [her] children.

15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

1 Israel is a desolate vine; the fruit thereof is even so. As much fruit as he had, so many altars had he made. Where the land was best, there they made the most beautiful churches.

2 Her heart is divided: now shall she find her iniquity. Her altars shall be broken down, and her churches shall be desolate.

3 Then shall they say, We have no king: for we fear not the LORD: what then can the king do for us?

4 They sware in vain, and made a covenant: and such counsel greeted all the furrows of the field as gall.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria take care of the calves of Bethaven: for his people mourn for him, over whom his camarim used to rejoice because of his glory: for he is led away from them.

6 The calf is brought into Assyria, and is a present unto the king of Jareb. So Ephraim is disgraced, and Israel is disgraced with his nobles.

7 For the king of Samaria is gone as the foam of the water.

8 The high places of Aven are destroyed, because Israel hath sinned: thorns and briers grow upon their altars. And they shall say, O mountains, cover us; and ye hills, fall upon us.

9 Israel, thou hast sinned since the days of Gibeah, and they have continued in it: but let not the battle of Gibeah take them like unto it, which was done against the wicked men,

10 But I will chasten them according to my desire, and nations shall come together against them, when I shall punish them for their two sins.

11 Ephraim is like a calf, and is accustomed to be driven. I will ride upon his beautiful neck: I will ride Ephraim; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall harrow.

12 Sow ye therefore righteousness, and reap love, and plow otherwise: for it is time to seek the LORD, until he come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 For ye plow evil, and reap iniquity, and eat the fruit of lies.

14 Because thou trustest in thy character, and in the multitude of thy mighty men, there shall be a tumult among thy people, and all thy strongholds shall be destroyed. As Salman destroyed the house of Arbeel in the time of the battle, when the mother fell to pieces over the children,

15 Likewise also shall it be unto you at Bethel, because of your great wickedness, that the king of Israel shall go down early in the morning.