1 Israel was 'n weelderig uitbottende wynstok wat sy vrug voortgebring het; hoe meer vrug hy gedra het, des te meer altare het hy gebou; hoe beter dit met sy land gesteld was, des te beter het hy die klippilare gemaak.

2 Vals is hulle hart; nou sal hulle daarvoor boet; Hy sal hulle altare stukkend breek, hulle klippilare verwoes.

3 Ja, nou sal hulle sê: Ons het geen koning nie, want ons het die HERE nie gevrees nie; en die koning -- wat sou hy vir ons kan doen?

4 Hulle het groot woorde gespreek, vals gesweer, verbonde gesluit -- en soos 'n gifplant spruit die oordeel uit in die vore van die landerye.

5 Oor die kalf van Bet-Awen sal die inwoners van Samar¡a besorg wees; want sy volk sal oor hom treur en sy afgodspriesters oor hom sidder, oor sy heerlikheid, omdat dit van hom weggevoer is.

6 Hy sal ook self na Assur weggevoer word as 'n geskenk aan koning Jareb; skaamte sal Efraim aangryp, en Israel sal beskaamd staan oor sy eie raadsbesluit.

7 Samar¡a word vernietig, sy koning is soos 'n spaander op die water.

8 En die hoogtes van Awen, Israel se sonde, word verdelg, dorings en distels sal opskiet op hulle altare; en hulle sal tot die berge sê: Bedek ons! en tot die heuwels: Val op ons!

9 Sedert die dae van G¡bea het jy gesondig, o Israel! Daar staan hulle -- moet die stryd teen die kwaaddoeners hulle nie oorval in G¡bea nie?

10 Dit is my begeerte om hulle te tugtig, en volke sal teen hulle versamel word as hulle gebind word aan hulle twee ongeregtighede.

11 Maar Efraim is 'n geleerde jong koei wat gewillig dors; nogtans sal Ek self oor haar mooi nek gaan: Ek sal Efraim laat trek; Juda sal die ploeg trek, Jakob sal die eg sleep.

12 Saai vir julle volgens die eis van geregtigheid, maai in ooreenstemming met die liefde; braak vir julle 'n braakland, want dit is tyd om die HERE te soek, totdat Hy kom en geregtigheid oor julle laat reën.

13 Julle het goddeloosheid ingeploeë, julle het slegtigheid gemaai, die vrug van leuens geëet, omdat jy op jou weg vertrou het, op die menigte van jou helde.

14 Daarom sal daar oorlogsrumoer onder jou volke ontstaan en al jou vestings verwoes word net soos Salman Bet-Arbel verwoes het in die dag van oorlog: moeders is met kinders en al verpletter.

15 Net so het Bet-el aan julle gedoen weens julle ontsettende boosheid; in die môre vroeg is dit gedaan, gedaan met die koning van Israel.

1 Israel is a branching vine, full of fruit; as his fruit is increased, so the number of his altars is increased; as the land is fair, so they have made fair pillars.

2 Their mind is taken away; now they will be made waste: he will have their altars broken down, he will give their pillars to destruction.

3 Now, truly, they will say, We have no king, we have no fear of the Lord; and the king, what is he able to do for us?

4 Their words are foolish; they make agreements with false oaths, so punishment will come up like a poison-plant in a ploughed field.

5 The people of Samaria will be full of fear because of the ox of Beth-aven; its people will have sorrow for it, and its priests will give cries of grief for its glory, for the glory has gone in flight.

6 And they will take it to Assyria and give it to the great king; shame will come on Ephraim, and Israel will be shamed because of its image.

7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off, like mist on the water.

8 And the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will come to destruction; thorns and waste plants will come up on their altars; they will say to the mountains, Be a cover over us; and to the hills, Come down on us.

9 O Israel, you have done evil from the days of Gibeah; there they took up their position, so that the fighting against the children of evil might not overtake them in Gibeah.

10 I will come and give them punishment; and the peoples will come together against them when I give them the reward of their two sins.

11 And Ephraim is a trained cow, taking pleasure in crushing the grain; but I have put a yoke on her fair neck; I will put a horseman on the back of Ephraim; Judah will be working the plough, Jacob will be turning up the earth.

12 Put in the seed of righteousness, get in your grain in mercy, let your unploughed earth be turned up: for it is time to make search for the Lord, till he comes and sends righteousness on you like rain.

13 You have been ploughing sin, you have got in a store of evil, the fruit of deceit has been your food: for you put faith in your way, in the number of your men of war.

14 So a great outcry will go up from among your people, and all your strong places will be broken, as Beth-arbel was broken by Shalman in the day of war, as the mother was broken on the rocks with her children.

15 So will Beth-el do to you because of your evil-doing; at dawn will the king of Israel be cut off completely.