You Have Sinned, O Israel

1Israel is a [†]luxuriant vine;

He produces fruit for himself.

The more abundant his fruit,

The more altars he abounded;

The better his land,

The better [†]he made the sacred pillars.

2Their heart is [†]faithless;

Now they must bear their guilt.

[†]Yahweh will break down their altars

And destroy their sacred pillars.

3Surely now they will say, “We have no king,

For we do not fear Yahweh.

As for the king, what can he do for us?”

4They speak mere words;

[†]With worthless oaths they cut covenants;

And judgment flourishes like gall in the furrows of the field.

5The dweller of Samaria will fear

For the [†]calf of Beth-aven.

Indeed, its people will mourn for it,

And its idolatrous priests [†]will cry out over it,

Over its glory, since it has gone into exile from them.

6The thing itself will be carried to Assyria

As tribute to [†]King Jareb;

Ephraim will receive shame,

And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel.

7Samaria will be ruined with her king

Like a stick on the surface of the water.

8Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be [†]eradicated;

Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars;

Then 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 stand!

Will not the battle against the sons of injustice overtake them in Gibeah?

10When it is My desire, I will [†]chastise them;

And the peoples will be gathered against them

When they are bound for their double guilt.

The Trained Heifer

11And Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh,

But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke;

I will harness Ephraim;

Judah will plow; Jacob will harrow for himself.

12Sow with a view to righteousness,

Reap in accordance with lovingkindness;

Break up your fallow ground,

Indeed, it is time to seek Yahweh

Until He comes and [†]rains righteousness on you.

13You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice;

You have eaten the fruit of deception.

Because you have trusted in your way, in your abundant warriors,

14Therefore a rumbling will arise among your people,

And all your fortifications will be destroyed,

As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,

When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

15Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your evil of evils.

At dawn the king of Israel will be completely ruined.