10:1 Israel resembles a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land,The better he made the sacred pillars. |
10:2 Their heart has become faithless; Now they must bear their guilt The LORD will break down their altars And destroy their sacred pillars. |
10:3 Surely now they will say, "We have no king, For we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for us?" |
10:4 They speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. |
10:5 The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has departed from it. |
10:6 The thing itself will become carried to Assyria As tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will become seized with shame And Israel will have shame because of its own counsel. |
10:7 Samaria will cut herself off with her king Like a stick on the surface of the water. |
10:8 Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will become destroyed; Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars; Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!" |
10:9 From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; There they stand! Will not the battle against the sons of iniquity overtake them in Gibeah? |
10:10 When I desire, I will chastise them; And the peoples will gather against them When they become entangled for their double guilt. |
10:11 Ephraim resembles a trained heifer that loves to thresh, But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself. |
10:12 Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For time has come to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you. |
10:13 You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of lies Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors, |
10:14 Therefore a tumult will arise among your people, And all your fortresses will suffer destruction, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When they dashed mothers in pieces with their children. |
10:15 Thus God will do to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will become completely cut off. |