Hosea 10

Modern

Literal

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.

¹Israel was a luxuriant vine; he set forth fruit for himself. With the increase of his fruit, he made an increase of the altars; according to the richness of his land, they made rich 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.

²Their heart has been divided, now they are guilty; He will break down their altars; He will 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?”

³For now they say, “There is no king for us, because we did not fear YHWH; and as for the king, what could he 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.

⁴They have spoken words, swearing falsely in cutting a covenant, and judgment sprouts up like a poison in the furrows of the field.

⁵The people of Samaria will fear

for the calf of Beth-aven.^a

Indeed, its people will mourn over it

with its idolatrous priests—

those who rejoiced in its glory—

for it has been taken from them into exile.

⁵For the calf of Beth-aven those dwelling in Samaria fear; indeed its people mourn over it, and its idolatrous priests who rejoiced over it, over its glory that has departed from it.

⁶Yes, it will be carried to Assyria

as tribute to the great king.^a

Ephraim^b will be seized with shame;

Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.^c

⁶Also it will be carried along to Assyria as tribute to the great king; Ephraim will receive shame, and Israel will be ashamed of his idol.

⁷Samaria will be carried off with her king

like a twig on the surface of the water.

⁷Samaria will be cut off with her king, like a twig on the face of the water.

⁸The high places of Aven^a 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!”^b

⁸The high places of Aven will be destroyed, and the sin of Israel; the thorn and thistle will come up over 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,

and there you have remained.

Did not the battle in Gibeah

overtake the sons of iniquity?^a

⁹From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel. There they have stood. Did it not overtake them in Gibeah—the battle against the sons of iniquity?

¹⁰I will chasten them when I please;

nations will be gathered against them

to put them in bondage

for their double transgression.

¹⁰When I desire, I will discipline them; and peoples will be gathered against them, at My disciplining them for the two of their transgressions.

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.

¹¹And Ephraim is a trained heifer, loving to thresh; and I passed over upon her fair neck; I will drive Ephraim; Judah will plow; Jacob will harrow for him.

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.

¹²Sow for yourselves unto righteousness, and reap to the mouth of loving devotion; break up for yourself the fallow ground, for it is time to seek YHWH, until He should come and shower righteousness upon you.

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,

¹³You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you trusted in your own way, 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.

¹⁴therefore will arise an uproar among your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed, like the destruction of Shalman in Beth-arbel on the day of battle, when a mother upon her children was dashed to pieces.

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.

¹⁵So may He do to you, O Bethel, from the face of your great evil; at dawn he will be utterly cut off—the king of Israel!