Retribution for Israel’s Sin
1 Israel is a luxuriantandprolific vine;
He produces fruit for himself.
The more his fruit,
The more altars he made [to Baal];
The richer his land,
The better he made the [idolatrous] pillars.
2 Their heart is divided (faithless);
Now they must bear their guiltandpunishment.
The Lordwill break down [the horns of] their altars;
He will destroy theiridolatrouspillars.
3 Surely now they will say [in despair], “We have no [true] king,
For we do not revere the Lord;
And as for the king, what can he do for us [to rescue us]?”
4 They have spokenempty (disingenuous)words,
Swearing falsely to make covenants [they intend to break];
Therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
5 The people of Samaria will fearandtremble
For the [idolatrous] calf ofBeth-aven (House of Wickedness).
Indeed, its people will mourn over it
And its idolatrous priests will cry outandwail over it,
Over its glory, because the glory [of their calf god] has departed from it.
6 The golden calf itself will be carried to Assyria
As tribute to King Jareb;
Ephraim will be seized with shame
And Israel will be ashamed of his own counsel [to worship the calf and separate Israel from Judah].
7 As for Samaria, her king will be cut offandfloat away
Like a twig on the surface of the water.
8 Also the high places of Aven (Beth-aven), the sin of Israel, will be destroyed;
The thorn and the thistle will grow on their [pagan] altars,
And [in despair] they will say to the mountains,
“Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 O Israel, you have [willfully] sinned since the days of Gibeah;
There they (Israel) stand!
Will not the battle against the sons of wickedness overtake them at Gibeah?
10 When it is my desire [to defend My righteousness], I will chastise them;
And [hostile] peoples will be gathered against them
When they are boundandpunished for their double guilt [their revolt against the Lordand their worship of idols].
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to tread out the grain,
But I will come over her fair neckwith a heavy yoke[for hard field work].
I will harness Ephraim;
Judah will plow and Jacob will harrowandrake for himself.
12 Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate];
Reap in accordance with mercyandlovingkindness.
Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to seekandsearch diligently for the Lord[and to long for His blessing]
Until He comes to rain righteousnessandHis gift of salvation on you.
13 You have plowedandplanted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors],
You have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own wayandyour chariots, and in your many warriors,
14 Therefore an uproar will arise among your people,
And all your fortresses will be destroyed,
As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 In this way it will be done to you at [idolatrous] Bethel because of your great wickedness;
At daybreak the king of Israel will be completely cut off.