10:1  Israel is 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 is 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 be carried to Assyria As tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will be seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel.

10:7  Samaria will be cut 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 be 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 it is My desire, I will chastise them; And the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt.

10:11  Ephraim is 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 it is time 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 be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, {When} mothers were dashed in pieces with {their} children.

10:15  Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off.