The Vine and the Calf
it yields fruit for itself.
The more his fruit increased,
the more he increased the altars. k
The better his land produced,
the better they made the sacred pillars. l
2 Their hearts are devious; T,m
now they must bear their guilt. n
The LORD will break down their altars o
and demolish their sacred pillars.
3 In fact, they are now saying,
“We have no king!
For we do not fear the LORD. p
What can a king do for us? ”
taking false oaths while making covenants. q
So lawsuits break out
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field. r
5 The residents of Samaria s will have anxiety
over the calf t of Beth-aven. u
Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it;
the people will mourn over it,
over its glory. v
It will certainly go into exile.
6 The calf itself will be taken to Assyria w
as an offering to the great king. U,x
Ephraim will experience shame; y
Israel will be ashamed of its counsel. z
7 Samaria’s king will disappear V,a
like foam W on the surface of the water.
8 The high places b of Aven, the sin of Israel, c
will be destroyed;
thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. d
They will say to the mountains, e “Cover us! ”
and to the hills, “Fall on us! ” f
Israel’s Defeat because of Sin
9 Israel, you have sinned
since the days of Gibeah; g
they have taken their stand there.
Will not war against the unjust
overtake them in Gibeah?
10 I will discipline h them at my discretion; i
nations will be gathered against them
to put them in bondage X
for their double iniquity. j
11 Ephraim is a well-trained calf k
that loves to thresh,
but I will place a yoke on Y her fine neck. l
I will harness Ephraim; m
Judah will plow;
Jacob will do the final plowing.
12 Sow righteousness for yourselves n
and reap faithful love;
break up your unplowed ground. o
It is time to seek the LORD p
until he comes q and sends righteousness
on you like the rain. r
13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; s
you have eaten the fruit of lies. t
Because you have trusted in your own way Z
and in your large number of soldiers, u
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
and all your fortifications will be demolished v
in a day of war,
like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel.
Mothers will be dashed to pieces
along with their children. w
15 So it will be done to you, Bethel, x
because of your extreme evil.
At dawn the king of Israel will be totally destroyed.