1Israel is a luxuriant vine; he yields fruit for himself. The more his fruit, the more he multiplied altars; the better his land, the finer he made the sacred pillars.
2Their heart is divided; now they will bear their guilt. He will break the necks of their altars; he will destroy their sacred pillars.
3For now they will say, ‘We have no king, for we did not fear Yahweh — and the king, what could he do for us?’
4They speak words — empty oaths, cutting covenants — so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
5For the calves of Beth-aven the dweller of Samaria is in dread. Indeed its people mourn over it, and its idol-priests wail over it, over its glory — because it has gone into exile from it.
6It too will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will take shame, and Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.
7Samaria is destroyed; her king is like a twig on the face of the water.
8The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow up on their altars, and they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’
9Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; there they have stood. Will not war overtake them in Gibeah, against the sons of iniquity?
10In my desire I will discipline them, and peoples will be gathered against them when they are bound for their double iniquity.
11Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, but I passed over her fair neck; I will make Ephraim pull the yoke. Judah must plow; Jacob must break the clods for himself.
12Sow for yourselves in righteousness; reap according to loyal love. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek Yahweh, until he comes and rains righteousness upon you.
13You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception — because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your warriors.
14Therefore the roar of battle will rise against your people, and all your fortresses will be devastated, as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel on the day of battle, when the mother was dashed to pieces with her children.
15Thus he has done to you, Bethel, because of the evil of your evil. At dawn the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.
Open in the interactive reader →