Retribution for Israel’s Sin
1 Israel is a luxuriant vine;
He produces fruit for himself.
The more his fruit,
The more altars he made;
The 10:1 Lit betterricher his land,
The better 10:1 Lit theyhe made the memorial stones.
2 Their heart is 10:2 Lit slippery; or divideddeceitful;
Now they must suffer for their guilt.
10:2 Lit He The Lord will break down their altars
And destroy their memorial stones.
3 Certainly 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?"
4 They speak mere words,
10:4 Or Swearing falsely in making a covenant With worthless oaths they make covenants;
And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria will fear
For the 10:5 As in some ancient versions; MT calvescalf of Beth-aven.
Indeed, its people will mourn for it,
And its idolatrous priests 10:5 Or who used to rejoice overwill cry out over it,
Over its glory, since it has left it.
6 The thing itself will be brought to Assyria
As a gift of tribute to 10:6 Another reading is the great king; or the contentious kingKing Jareb;
Ephraim will 10:6 Lit receive shamebe seized with shame,
And Israel will be ashamed of its own plan.
7 Samaria will be destroyed with her king,
Like a twig on the surface of the water.
8 Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed;
Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars;
Then they will say to the mountains,
"Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!"
9 Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, Israel;
There they stand!
Will the battle against the sons of injustice not overtake them in Gibeah?
10 When it is My desire, I will 10:10 Or instructdiscipline them;
And the peoples will be gathered against them
When they are bound for their double guilt.
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh,
10:11 Or But I put a yoke on her lovely And I passed over her lovely neck;
I will harness Ephraim,
Judah will plow, Jacob will 10:11 I.e., pull a harrow, a farming deviceharrow for himself.
12 Sow for yourselves, with a view to righteousness;
Harvest in accordance with 10:12 Or loyaltykindness.
Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He comes and rains righteousness on you.
13 You have plowed wickedness, you have harvested injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your many warriors,
14 An uproar 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 10:14 Lit shatteredslaughtered with their children.
15 So it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.