1 I srael is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the sacred pillars.

Israel is an unpruned vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the abundance of his fruit he hath multiplied altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly statues.

2 T heir heart is faithless; Now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars And destroy their sacred pillars.

Their heart is divided; now shall they be found guilty: he will break down their altars, he will destroy their statues.

3 S urely now they will say, “We have no king, For we do not revere the Lord. As for the king, what can he do for us?”

For now they will say, We have no king, for we feared not Jehovah; and a king, what can he do for us?

4 T hey speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

They speak words, swearing falsely in making a covenant; therefore shall judgment spring up as hemlock in the furrows of the fields.

5 T he inhabitants 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 departed from it.

The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calf of Beth-aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the idolatrous priests thereof shall tremble for it, for its glory, because it is departed from it.

6 T he thing itself will be carried to Assyria As tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will be seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel.

Yea, it shall be carried unto Assyria a present for king Jareb: Ephraim shall be seized with shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

7 S amaria will be cut off with her king Like a stick on the surface of the water.

As for Samaria her king is cut off as chips upon the face of the waters.

8 A lso the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed; Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars; Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”

And the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up upon their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us! and to the hills, Fall on us!

9 F rom the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; There they stand! Will not the battle against the sons of iniquity overtake them in Gibeah?

From the days of Gibeah hast thou sinned, O Israel: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.

10 W hen it is My desire, I will chastise them; And the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt.

At my pleasure will I chastise them; and the peoples shall be assembled against them, when they are bound for their two iniquities.

11 E phraim 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.

And Ephraim is a trained heifer, that loveth to tread out; I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to draw; Judah shall plough, Jacob shall break his clods.

12 S ow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 Y ou have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors,

Ye have ploughed wickedness, reaped iniquity, eaten the fruit of lies; for thou didst confide in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

14 T herefore a tumult will arise among your people, And all your fortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

And a tumult shall arise among thy peoples, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces with the children.

15 T hus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off.

So shall Bethel do unto you because of the wickedness of your wickedness: at day-break shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.