The Vine and the Calf

1Israel is a lusha vine;b

it yields fruit for itself.

The more his fruit increased,

the more he increased the altars.c

The better his land produced,

the better they made the sacred pillars.d

2Their hearts are devious;e, f

now they must bear their •guilt.g

The LORD will break down their altarsh

and demolish their sacred pillars.

3In fact, they are now saying,

“We have no king!

For we do not •fear the LORD.i

What can a king do for us? ”

4They speak mere words,

taking false oaths while making covenants.j

So lawsuits break out

like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.k

5The residents of Samarial will have anxiety

over the calfm of Beth-aven.n

Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it;

the people will mourn over it,

over its glory.o

It will certainly depart from them.

6The calf itself will be taken to Assyriap

as an offering to the great king.q, r

Ephraim will experience shame;s

Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.t

7Samaria’s king will disappearu, v

like foamw on the surface of the water.

8The •high placesx of Aven, the sin of Israel,y

will be destroyed;

thorns and thistles will grow over their altars.z

They will say to the mountains,aa “Cover us! ”

and to the hills, “Fall on us! ”ab

Israel’s Defeat because of Sin

9Israel, you have sinned

since the days of Gibeah;ac

they have taken their stand there.

Will not war against the unjust

overtake them in Gibeah?

10I will disciplinead them at My discretion;ae

nations will be gathered against them

to put them in bondageaf

for their two crimes.ag

11Ephraim is a well-trained calfah

that loves to thresh,

but I will place a yoke onai her fine neck.aj

I will harness Ephraim;ak

Judah will plow;

Jacob will do the final plowing.

12Sow righteousness for yourselvesal

and reap faithful love;

break up your unplowed ground.am

It is time to seek the LORDan

until He comesao and sends righteousness

on you like the rain.ap

13You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice;aq

you have eaten the fruit of lies.ar

Because you have trusted in your own wayas

and in your large number of soldiers,at

14the roar of battle will rise against your people,

and all your fortifications will be demolishedau

in a day of war,

like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel.

Mothers will be dashed to pieces

along with their children.av

15So it will be done to you, Bethel,aw

because of your extreme evil.

At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.