¹ Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.

² Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

³ Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”

⁴ They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

⁵ The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven.¹ Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into exile.

1. Beth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29.

⁶ Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king.¹ Ephraim² will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.³

1. Or to King Jareb
2. That is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verse 11
3. Or of its own counsel

⁷ Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

⁸ The high places of Aven¹ will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”²

1. Or of wickedness; Aven is a reference to Beth-aven (a derogatory term for Bethel); see verse 5.
2. Cited in Luke 23:30; see also Revelation 6:16.

⁹ Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?¹

1. Or Did not the battle overtake the sons of iniquity in Gibeah?

¹⁰ I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.

¹¹ Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.

¹² Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

¹³ You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your mighty men,

¹⁴ the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.

¹⁵ Thus it will be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day dawns, the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.