Chapter 10

Retribution for Israel’s Sin

¹Israel was a luxuriant vine,

yielding fruit for himself.

The more his fruit increased,

the more he increased the altars.

The better his land produced,

the better he made the sacred pillars.

²Their hearts are devious;

now they must bear their guilt.

The LORD will break down their altars

and demolish their sacred pillars.

³Surely now they will say,

“We have no king,

for we do not revere the LORD.

What can a king do for us?”

⁴They speak mere words;

with false oaths they make covenants.

So judgment springs up

like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

⁵The people of Samaria will fear

for the calf of Beth-aven.^a

Indeed, its people will mourn

with its idolatrous priests—

those who rejoiced in its glory—

for it has been taken from them into exile.

⁶Yes, it will be carried to Assyria

as tribute to the great king.^b

Ephraim^c will be seized with shame;

Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.^d

⁷Samaria will be carried off with her king

like a twig on the surface of the water.

⁸The high places of Aven^e will be destroyed—

it is the sin of Israel;

thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars.

Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”

and to the hills, “Fall on us!”^f

⁹Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel,

and there you have remained.

Did not the battle in Gibeah

overtake the sons of iniquity?^g

¹⁰I will chasten them when I please;

nations will be gathered against them

to put them in bondage

for their double transgression.

¹¹Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh;

but I will place a yoke on her fair neck.

I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow,

and Jacob will break the hard ground.

¹²Sow for yourselves righteousness

and reap the fruit of loving devotion;

break up your unplowed ground.

For it is time to seek the LORD

until He comes and sends righteousness

upon you like rain.

¹³You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice;

you have eaten the fruit of lies.

Because you have trusted in your own way

and in the multitude of your mighty men,

¹⁴the roar of battle will rise against your people,

so that all your fortresses will be demolished

as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel

in the day of battle,

when mothers were dashed to pieces

along with their children.

¹⁵Thus it will be done to you, O Bethel,

because of your great wickedness.

When the day dawns,

the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.