10
1 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself:
According to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars;
According to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.
2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty:
He shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
3 For now they shall say, We have no king,
Because we feared not the Lord;
What then should a king do to us?
4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant:
Thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven:
For the people thereof shall mourn over it,
And the priests thereof that rejoiced on it,
For the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.
6 It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb:
Ephraim shall receive shame,
And Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off
As the foam upon the water.
8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed:
The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars;
And they shall say to the mountains, Cover us;
And to the hills, Fall on us.
9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood:
The battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.
10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them;
And the people shall be gathered against them,
When they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
11 And Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn;
But I passed over upon her fair neck:
I will make Ephraim to ride;
Judah shall plow,
And Jacob shall break his clods.
12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground:
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity;
Ye have eaten the fruit of lies:
Because thou didst trust in thy way,
In the multitude of thy mighty men.
14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people,
And all thy fortresses shall be spoiled,
As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle:
The mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
15 So shall Beth-el do unto you because of your great wickedness;
In a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.