Hos 10 | HCSB | STEP | Israel is a lush vine ; it yields fruit for itself. The more his fruit increased , the more he increased the altars . The better his land produced, the better they made the sacred pillars .

Hosea 10

The Vine and the Calf

1 Israel is a lush ^{▼▼Or ravaged} 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
2 Their hearts are devious; ^{▼▼Or divided
,} ^f
now they must bear their ^{▼▼guilt/guilty: The liability to be punished for a fault, a sin, an act, or an omission unless there is forgiveness or atonement; the term normally concerns an objective fact, not a subjective feeling.}guilt. ^h
The Lord will break down their altars ⁱ
and demolish their sacred pillars.
3 In fact, they are now saying,
“We have no king!
For we do not ^{▼▼fear(s) God or the Lord/ the fear of the Lord: No single English word conveys every aspect of the word fear in this phrase. The meaning includes worshipful submission, reverential awe, and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel.}fear the Lord. ^k
What can a king do for us?”
4 They speak mere words,
taking false oaths while making covenants. ^l
So lawsuits break out
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field. ^m

5 The residents of Samaria ⁿ will have anxiety
over the calf ^o of Beth-aven. ^p
Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it;
the people will mourn over it,
over its glory. ^q
It will certainly depart from them.
6 The calf itself will be taken to Assyria ^r
as an offering to the great king. ^{▼▼Or to King Yareb
,} ^t
Ephraim will experience shame; ^u
Israel will be ashamed of its counsel. ^v
7 Samaria’s king will disappear ^{▼▼Or will be cut off
,} ^x
like foam ^{▼▼Or a stick} on the surface of the water.
8 The ^{▼▼high place(s): An ancient place of worship most often associated with pagan religions, usually built on an elevated location}high places ^aa of Aven, the sin of Israel, ^ab
will be destroyed;
thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. ^ac
They will say to the mountains, ^ad “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall on us!” ^ae

Israel’s Defeat because of Sin

9 Israel, you have sinned
since the days of Gibeah; ^af
they have taken their stand there.
Will not war against the unjust
overtake them in Gibeah?
10 I will discipline ^ag them at My discretion; ^ah
nations will be gathered against them
to put them in bondage ^{▼▼LXX, Syr, Vg read against them when they are disciplined}
for their two crimes. ^aj

11 Ephraim is a well-trained calf ^ak
that loves to thresh,
but I will place a yoke on ^{▼▼Lit will pass over} her fine neck. ^am
I will harness Ephraim; ^an
Judah will plow;
Jacob will do the final plowing.
12 Sow righteousness for yourselves ^ao
and reap faithful love;
break up your unplowed ground. ^ap
It is time to seek the Lord ^aq
until He comes ^ar and sends righteousness
on you like the rain. ^as

13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; ^at
you have eaten the fruit of lies. ^au
Because you have trusted in your own way ^{▼▼LXX reads your chariots}
and in your large number of soldiers, ^aw
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
and all your fortifications will be demolished ^ax
in a day of war,
like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel.
Mothers will be dashed to pieces
along with their children. ^ay
15 So it will be done to you, Bethel, ^az
because of your extreme evil.
At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.