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. |