Retribution for Israel’s Sin

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 heart has been divided,

now they are guilty;

He will break down their altars;

He will demolish their sacred pillars.

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 have spoken words,

swearing falsely in cutting a covenant,

and judgment sprouts up like a poison

in the furrows of the field.

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.

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 cut off with her king,

like a twig on the face of the water.

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!†”

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?†

10When I desire, I will discipline them;

and peoples will be gathered against them,

at My disciplining them

for the two of their transgressions.

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 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; 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,

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.

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!

Footnotes:

5 Beth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29.
6 Or to King Jareb
6 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verse 11
6 Or of its own counsel
8 Or of wickedness; Aven is a reference to Beth-aven (a derogatory term for Bethel); see verse 5.
8 Cited in Luke 23:30; see also Revelation 6:16.
9 Or Did not the battle overtake the sons of iniquity in Gibeah?