Hosea 10

The Vine and the Calf

1 Israel is a lush  * 10:1 Or ravaged  vine;  * 10:1 Is 5:1–7; Ezk 15:1–6

it yields fruit for itself.

The more his fruit increased,

the more he increased the altars.  * 10:1 Hs 8:11; 12:11

The better his land produced,

the better they made the sacred pillars.  * 10:1 1Kg 14:23; Hs 3:4

2 Their hearts are devious;  * 10:2 Or divided,* 10:2 1Kg 18:21; Zph 1:5

now they must bear their guilt.  * 10:2 Hs 13:16

The Lord will break down their altars  * 10:2 Mc 5:13

and demolish their sacred pillars.

3 In fact, they are now saying,

"We have no king!

For we do not fear the  Lord.  * 10:3 Ps 12:4; Is 5:19

What can a king do for us? "

4 They speak mere words,

taking false oaths while making covenants.  * 10:4 Ezk 17:13–19; Hs 4:2

So lawsuits break out

like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.  * 10:4 Dt 31:16–17; 2Kg 17:3–4

5 The residents of Samaria  * 10:5 Hs 7:1 will have anxiety

over the calf  * 10:5 Hs 8:5–6 of Beth-aven.  * 10:5 Hs 4:15; 5:8

Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it;

the people will mourn over it,

over its glory.  * 10:5 Hs 9:11

It will certainly go into exile.

6 The calf itself will be taken to Assyria  * 10:6 Hs 11:5

as an offering to the great king.  * 10:6 Or to King Yareb,* 10:6 Hs 5:13

Ephraim will experience shame;  * 10:6 Hs 4:7

Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.  * 10:6 Is 30:3; Jr 7:24

7 Samaria’s king will disappear  * 10:7 Or will be cut off,* 10:7 Hs 13:11

like foam  * 10:7 Or a stick on the surface of the water.

8 The high places  * 10:8 Dt 12:2; Hs 4:13 of Aven, the sin of Israel,  * 10:8 1Kg 12:28–30; 13:34

will be destroyed;

thorns and thistles will grow over their altars.  * 10:8 Is 32:13; Hs 9:6

They will say to the mountains,  * 10:8 Lk 23:30; Rv 6:16 "Cover us! "

and to the hills, "Fall on us! "  * 10:8 Rv 6:16

Israel’s Defeat because of Sin

9 Israel, you have sinned

since the days of Gibeah;  * 10:9 Hs 5:8; 9:9

they have taken their stand there.

Will not war against the unjust

overtake them in Gibeah?

10 I will discipline  * 10:10 Hs 4:9 them at my discretion;  * 10:10 Ezk 5:13

nations will be gathered against them

to put them in bondage  * 10:10 LXX, Syr, Vg read against them when they are disciplined

for their double iniquity.  * 10:10 Jdg 19–21; 1Kg 12:28–30

11 Ephraim is a well-trained calf  * 10:11 Jr 5:11; Hs 4:16

that loves to thresh,

but I will place a yoke on  * 10:11 Lit will pass over  her fine neck.  * 10:11 Jr 28:14

I will harness Ephraim;  * 10:11 Ps 66:12

Judah will plow;

Jacob will do the final plowing.

12 Sow righteousness for yourselves  * 10:12 Pr 11:18

and reap faithful love;

break up your unplowed ground.  * 10:12 Jr 4:3

It is time to seek the  Lord* 10:12 Hs 4:1; 12:6

until he comes  * 10:12 Hs 6:3 and sends righteousness

on you like the rain.  * 10:12 Is 44:3; 45:8

13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice;  * 10:13 Jb 4:8; Gl 6:7

you have eaten the fruit of lies.  * 10:13 Hs 4:2; 7:3; 11:12

Because you have trusted in your own way  * 10:13 LXX reads your chariots

and in your large number of soldiers,  * 10:13 Ps 33:16

14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,

and all your fortifications will be demolished  * 10:14 Is 17:3

in a day of war,

like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel.

Mothers will be dashed to pieces

along with their children.  * 10:14 Hs 13:16

15 So it will be done to you, Bethel,  * 10:15 Hs 4:15; 10:5

because of your extreme evil.

At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.