ISRAEL IS AN EMPTY VINE,
HE BRINGETH FORTH FRUIT UNTO HIMSELF:
according to the multitude of his fruit
he hath increased the altars;
according to the goodness of his land
they have made goodly images.
Their heart is divided;
now shall they be found faulty:
he shall break down their altars,
he shall spoil their images.
For now they shall say,
We have no king,
because we feared not the LORD;
what then should a king do to us?
They have spoken words,
swearing falsely
in making a covenant:
thus judgment springeth up as hemlock
in the furrows of the field.
The inhabitants of Samaria
shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven:
for the people thereof
shall mourn over it,
and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it,
for the glory thereof,
because it is departed from it.
It shall be also carried unto Assyria
for a present to king Jareb:
Ephraim shall receive shame,
and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
As for Samaria,
her king is cut off
as the foam upon the water.
The high places also of Aven,
the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed:
the thorn
and the thistle
shall come up on their altars;
and they shall say to the mountains,
Cover us;
and to the hills,
Fall on us.
O Israel,
thou hast sinned
from the days of Gibeah:
there they stood:
the battle in Gibeah
against the children of iniquity
did not overtake them.
It is in my desire
that I should chastise them;
and the people shall be gathered
against them,
when they shall bind themselves
in their two furrows.
And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught,
and loveth to tread out the corn;
but I passed over upon her fair neck:
I will make Ephraim to ride;
Judah shall plow,
and Jacob shall break his clods.
Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
reap in mercy;
break up your fallow ground:
for it is time to seek the LORD,
till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Ye have plowed wickedness,
ye have reaped iniquity;
ye have eaten the fruit of lies:
because thou didst trust in thy way,
in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Therefore shall a tumult arise
among thy people,
and all thy fortresses
shall be spoiled,
as Shalman spoiled Betharbel
in the day of battle:
the mother was dashed in pieces
upon her children.
So shall Bethel do unto you
because of your great wickedness:
in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.
When Israel was a child,
then I loved him,
and called my son
out of Egypt.
As they called them,
so they went from them:
they sacrificed unto Baalim,
and burned incense to graven images.
I taught Ephraim also to go,
taking them by their arms;
but they knew not that I healed them.
I drew them with cords of a man,
with bands of love:
and I was to them
as they that take off the yoke on their jaws,
and I laid meat unto them.
He shall not return
into the land of Egypt,
but the Assyrian shall be his king,
because they refused to return.
And the sword shall abide on his cities,
and shall consume his branches,
and devour them,
because of their own counsels.
And my people are bent to backsliding from me:
though they called them to the most High,
none at all would exalt him.
How shall I give thee up,
Ephraim?
how shall I deliver thee, Israel?
how shall I make thee as Admah?
how shall I set thee as Zeboim?
mine heart is turned within me,
my repentings are kindled together.
I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger,
I will not return to destroy Ephraim:
for I am God,
and not man;
the Holy One in the midst of thee:
and I will not enter into the city.
They shall walk after the LORD:
he shall roar like a lion:
when he shall roar,
then the children shall tremble from the west.
They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt,
and as a dove out of the land of Assyria:
and I will place them in their houses,
saith the LORD.
Ephraim compasseth me about with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit:
but Judah yet ruleth with God,
and is faithful with the saints.
Hosea 10:1-11:12