The Vine and the Calf

10 Israel is a lush d vine; e

it yields fruit for itself.

The more his fruit increased,

the more he increased the altars. f

The better his land produced,

the better they made the sacred pillars. g

2 Their hearts are devious; h i

now they must bear their * guilt. j

The Lord will break down their altars k

and demolish their sacred pillars.

3 In fact, they are now saying,

“We have no king!

For we do not * fear the Lord. l

What can a king do for us?”

4 They speak mere words,

taking false oaths while making covenants. m

So lawsuits break out

like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field. n

5 The residents of Samaria o will have anxiety

over the calf p of Beth-aven. q

Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it;

the people will mourn over it,

over its glory. r

It will certainly depart from them.

6 The calf itself will be taken to Assyria s

as an offering to the great king. t u

Ephraim will experience shame; v

Israel will be ashamed of its counsel. w

7 Samaria’s king will disappear x y

like foam z on the surface of the water.

8 The * high places a of Aven, the sin of Israel, b

will be destroyed;

thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. c

They will say to the mountains, d “Cover us!”

and to the hills, “Fall on us!” e

Israel’s Defeat because of Sin

9 Israel, you have sinned

since the days of Gibeah; f

they have taken their stand there.

Will not war against the unjust

overtake them in Gibeah?

10 I will discipline g them at My discretion; h

nations will be gathered against them

to put them in bondage i

for their two crimes. j

11 Ephraim is a well-trained calf k

that loves to thresh,

but I will place a yoke on l her fine neck. m

I will harness Ephraim; n

Judah will plow;

Jacob will do the final plowing.

12 Sow righteousness for yourselves o

and reap faithful love;

break up your unplowed ground. p

It is time to seek the Lord q

until He comes r and sends righteousness

on you like the rain. s

13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; t

you have eaten the fruit of lies. u

Because you have trusted in your own way v

and in your large number of soldiers, w

14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,

and all your fortifications will be demolished x

in a day of war,

like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel.

Mothers will be dashed to pieces

along with their children. y

15 So it will be done to you, Bethel, z

because of your extreme evil.

At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.