1 I srael is a spreading vine full of fruit. The more fruit he had, the more altars he made. As his land became richer, he made his pillars for worship better.

`An empty vine Israel, Fruit he maketh like to himself, According to the abundance of his fruit, He hath multiplied for the altars, According to the goodness of his land, They have made goodly standing-pillars.

2 T heir heart is not faithful, and now they must suffer for their sins. The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars for worship.

Their heart hath been divided, now they are guilty, He doth break down their altars, He doth destroy their standing-pillars.

3 T hen they will say, “We have no king because we do not fear the Lord. And what could a king do for us?”

For now they say: We have no king, Because we have not feared Jehovah, And the king -- what doth he for us?

4 T hey speak empty words and make false promises, so punishment grows like weeds of poison in a plowed field.

They have spoken words, To swear falsehood in making a covenant, And flourished as a poisonous herb hath judgment, on the furrows of a field.

5 T he people of Samaria will be afraid for the calf of Beth-aven. Its people will have sorrow for it. Its religious leaders who worship false gods will cry over it in a loud voice. They will cry because its greatness has gone.

For the calves of Beth-Aven fear do inhabitants of Samaria, Surely mourned on account of it hath its people, And its priests on account of it leap about, Because of its honour, for it hath removed from it,

6 T he thing itself will be carried to Assyria and given to King Jareb. Ephraim will be put to shame, and Israel will be ashamed of its false god.

Also it to Asshur is carried, a present to a warlike king, Shame doth Ephraim receive, And ashamed is Israel of its own counsel.

7 S amaria and its king will be lost like a piece of wood on the water.

Cut off is Samaria! Its king as a chip on the face of the waters.

8 T he high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

And destroyed have been high places of Aven, the sin of Israel. Thorn and bramble go up on their altars, And they have said to hills, Cover us, And to heights, Fall upon us.

9 “ You have sinned since the days of Gibeah, O Israel, and there you have stayed. Will not the sinners be destroyed in battle in Gibeah?

From the days of Gibeah thou hast sinned, O Israel, There they have stood, Not overtake them in Gibeah doth battle, Because of sons of perverseness.

10 I will punish them when I please. And the nations will be gathered against them when they are punished for their many sins.

When I desire, then I do bind them, And gathered against them have peoples, When they bind themselves to their two iniquities.

11 “ Ephraim is a well-taught young cow that loves to crush the grain. But I will put a load on her beautiful neck. I will drive Ephraim. Judah must plow. And Jacob must break up the ground.

And Ephraim a trained heifer -- loving to thresh, And I -- I have passed over on the goodness of its neck, I cause to ride Ephraim, Plough doth Judah, harrow for him doth Jacob.

12 P lant what is right and good for yourselves. Gather the fruit of lasting love. Break up your ground that has not been plowed. For it is time to look for the Lord, until He comes and pours His saving power on you.

Sow for yourselves in righteousness, Reap according to loving-kindness, Till for yourselves tillage of knowledge, To seek Jehovah, Till he come and shew righteousness to you.

13 Y ou have plowed wrong-doing and have gathered sin. You have eaten the fruit of lies. You have trusted in your own strength and in your many soldiers.

Ye have ploughed wickedness, Perversity ye have reaped, Ye have eaten the fruit of lying, For thou hast trusted in thy way, In the abundance of thy might.

14 T he noise of battle will rise up among your people. All your strong cities will be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle. Mothers were crushed in pieces with their children.

And rise doth a tumult among thy people, And all thy fortresses are spoiled, As the spoiling of Shalman of Beth-Arbel, In a day of battle, Mother against sons dashed in pieces.

15 T his will be done to you at Bethel because of your many sins. When the day begins, the king of Israel will be destroyed.

Thus hath Beth-El done to you, Because of the evil of your wickedness, In the dawn cut off utterly is a king of Israel!