17 My god will reject them because they haven’t listened to him.

→ They will become wanderers among the nations.

10 Yisrael (Israel) is a luxuriant vine that produces his fruit.

→ The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built.

≈ As his land prospered, he improved his sacred pillars.

2 Their heart is deceitful.

→ Now they must bear their guilt.

He will break down their altars.

≈ He’ll destroy their pillars.

3 Now they’ll say, “We don’t have any king,

because we don’t respect Yahweh,

and what advantage would it be to us to have a king?”

4 They speak mere words.

They make agreements with worthless promises.

So judgement springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

5 The inhabitants of Shomron (Samaria) will be afraid about what will happen to the calf of Beyt-Aven.

Indeed, its people will mourn over it, as will its idolatrous priests who had rejoiced over it

and over its splendour because it’s departed from them.

6 The thing itself will be carried to Ashur (Assyria) as tribute for the great king.

Yisrael (Israel; Heb. Efrayim) will receive shame,

≈ and Yisrael (Israel) will be ashamed of its idol.

7 The king of Shomron will be removed,

like a twig getting carried out of sight by a river.

8 The high places of Aven, the place of Yisrael’s sin, will be destroyed.

≈ Thorns and thistles will grow up on their altars.

Then they’ll say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’

≈ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us.’[ref]