Hosea, chapter 10

You were a healthy vine covered with grapes.

But the more grapes you grew,

the more altars you built;

the better off you became,

the better shrinesH you set up for pagan gods.

²You are deceitful and disloyal.

So you will pay for your sins,

because the Lord will destroy your altars and images.

³“We don't have a king,” you will say.

“We don't fear the Lord. And what good are kings?”

⁴Israel, you break treaties and don't keep promises;

you turn justice into poisonous weeds

where healthy plants should grow.*

⁵All who live in Samaria tremble with concern

for the idols* at sinful BethelG.*

The idol there was the pride of the priests,

but it has been put to shame; now everyone will cry.

⁶It will be taken to Assyria and given to the great king.

Then Israel will be disgraced for worshiping that idol.

⁷Like a twig in a stream,

the king of SamariaH will be swept away.

⁸The altars at sinful Bethel will be destroyed

for causing Israel to sin;

they will be grown over with thorns and thistles.

Then everyone will beg the mountainsG and hills

to cover and protect them.

The Lord Promises To Punish Israel

⁹Israel, you have never stopped sinning*

since that time at GibeahG.

That's why you will be attacked at Gibeah.*

¹⁰Your sins have doubled, and you are rebellious.

Now I have decided to send nations to attack

and put you in chains.

¹¹Once you were obedient

like a calf that loved to thresh grainI.

But I will put a harness on your beautiful neck;

you and Judah must plow and cultivate the ground.

¹² C Plow your fields, scatter seeds of justice,

and harvest faithfulness.

Worship me, the Lord, and I will send my saving power

down like rain.

¹³You have planted evil, harvested injustice,

and eaten the fruit of your lies.

You trusted your own strengthI and your powerful forces.

¹⁴So war will break out,

and your fortresses will be destroyed.

Your enemies will do to you what ShalmanH did

to the people of Beth-Arbel—

mothers and their children will be beaten to death

against rocks.

¹⁵Bethel, this will be your fate because of your evil.

Israel, at dawn your king will be killed.