^1. ISRAEL is a [3] luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The [2] richer his land, The better [1] he made the sacred pillars.

^2. Their heart is [5] faithless; Now they must bear their guilt. [4] The LORD will break down their altars And destroy their sacred pillars.

^3. Surely 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?»

^4. They speak mere words, [6] With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

^5. The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the [8] calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests [7] will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has departed from it.

^6. The thing itself will be carried to Assyria As tribute to [10] King Jareb; Ephraim will [9] be seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel.

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

^8. Also 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!»

^9. From 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?

^10. When it is My desire, I will [11] chastise them; And the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt.

^11. Ephraim 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.

^12. Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with [13] kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to [12] rain righteousness on you.

^13. You 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,

^14. Therefore 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.

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