Hosea 10

1 *See Ps. 80:8-11Israel is a luxuriant vine

that yields its fruit.

The more his fruit increased,

*ch. 8:11the more altars he built;

as his country improved,

he improved his pillars.

2 Their heart is false;

now they must bear their guilt.

The Lord*10:2 Hebrew He will break down their altars

and destroy their pillars.

3 For now they will say:

*[ver. 7, 15; 1 Sam. 12:12]"We have no king,

for we do not fear the Lord;

and a king—what could he do for us?"

4 They utter *[ch. 4:2] mere words;

with empty*10:4 Or vain (see Exodus 20:7) oaths they make covenants;

so *Amos 5:7;6:12judgment springs up like poisonous weeds

*ch. 12:11in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria tremble

for *See 1 Kgs. 12:28the calf*10:5 Or calves of *See ch. 4:15Beth-aven.

Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests—

those who rejoiced over it and *ch. 9:11;[1 Sam. 4:21,22]over its glory—

for it has departed*10:5 Or has gone into exile from them.

6 *[Isa. 46:2] The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria

as tribute to *ch. 5:13the great king.*10:6 Or to King Jareb

Ephraim shall be put to shame,

and Israel shall be ashamed *ch. 11:6of his idol.*10:6 Or counsel

7 *[ver. 3]Samaria’s king shall perish

like a twig on the face of the waters.

8 The high places of *[See ver. 5above] Aven, *1 Kgs. 12:30;Amos 8:14the sin of Israel,

shall be destroyed.

*[ch. 9:6] Thorn and thistle shall grow up

on their altars,

and *Luke 23:30;Rev. 6:16;[Isa. 2:19]they shall say to the mountains, "Cover us,"

and to the hills, "Fall on us."

9 From *ch. 9:9the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel;

there they have continued.

Shall not the war against the unjust*10:9 Hebrew the children of injustice overtake them in Gibeah?

10 *[Ex. 32:34] When I please, *ch. 7:12I will discipline them,

and nations shall be gathered against them

when they are bound up for *[1 Kgs. 12:28]their double iniquity.

11 Ephraim was a trained calf

that *[Deut. 25:4;1 Cor. 9:9;1 Tim. 5:18] loved to thresh,

and I spared her fair neck;

but I will put *See ch. 6:4Ephraim to the yoke;

*See ch. 6:4Judah must plow;

Jacob must harrow for himself.

12 *[ch. 8:7;Gal. 6:8] Sow for yourselves righteousness;

reap steadfast love;

*Jer. 4:3break up your fallow ground,

for it is the time to seek the Lord,

that he may come and *Isa. 45:8rain righteousness upon you.

13 *[ch. 8:7]You have plowed iniquity;

you have reaped injustice;

you have eaten the fruit of lies.

Because you have trusted in your own way

and in the multitude of your warriors,

14 therefore *[ch. 1:5] the tumult of war shall arise among your people,

and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,

as *2 Kgs. 17:3Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;

*[ch. 13:16]mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

15 Thus it shall be done to you, O *[ver. 5] Bethel,

because of your great evil.

At dawn *[See ver. 6above]the king of Israel

shall be utterly cut off.