Israel Is Punished

• he yields fruit for himself.
• The more his fruit increased,
  • the more he made numerous altars.
• The more his land prospered,
  • the more he[fn] improved[fn] his stone pillars.
  • 2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt.
• He himself[fn] will break down their altars;
  • he will destroy their stone pillars.
  • 3 For now they will say, “We have no king;
• indeed, we did not fear Yahweh,
  • and what can a king do for us?”
  • 4 They utter words of vain oaths when making covenants ,[fn]
• and judgment blossoms like a poisonous plant
  • on the furrows of the field.
  • 5 The inhabitants[fn] of Samaria tremble for the calf[fn] of Beth-aven.
• Indeed, his people will mourn for it,
  • and his idolatrous priests will wail[fn] over it—
  • over its glory because it has departed from it.
  • 6 It will also be brought to Assyria, as tribute to the great king.[fn]
• Ephraim will obtain disgrace
  • and Israel will be ashamed from his advice.[fn]
  • 7 Samaria will be destroyed; her king is like a chip on the surface of the water.
  • 8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed.
• Thorn and thistle will grow
  • on their altars.
• They will say to the mountains, “Cover us,”
  • and to the hills, “Fall on us.”
  • 9 From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; there they have remained .[fn]
• Will not war in Gibeah overtake them
  • against the children of evil?
• 10 In my desire[fn] I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them
  • when they are punished for their double iniquities .[fn]
  • 11 Ephraim was a trained heifer, that loved to thresh grain,
• and I myself spared[fn]
  • the fairness of her neck;
• I will make Ephraim break the ground,
  • Judah will plow,
  • Jacob must till for himself.
  • 12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap loyal love .[fn]
• Break up for yourself fallow ground;
  • it is time to seek Yahweh
• so he will come and rain
  • righteousness upon you.
  • 13 You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice,
• you have eaten the fruit of lies,[fn]
  • because you have trusted in your strength,
  • in the multitude of your warriors.
    • 14 The tumult of war will rise up against your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed,
  • as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel;
• on the day of war
  • mothers were dashed to pieces with their children.[fn]
  • 15 So it will be done to you, O Bethel, because of the evil of your wickedness;
• at dawn, the king of Israel
  • will be utterly destroyed.