- 1
- ¶ ISRAEL is a vine full of branches that brings forth its fruit;
according to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have built shrines.
- 2
- Their heart is wavering;
and from now they shall be condemned; he shall demolish their altars; he shall plunder their shrines.
- 3
- For from now they shall say, We have no king because we feared not the LORD;
what then can a king do for us?
- 4
- They have spoken words belonging to false altars;
they have broken the covenant and paid the penalty; they are like briers in a barren field.
- 5
- The inhabitants of Samaria shall sojourn to the shrine of the calf of Beth-aon;
for they sat down mourning over it together with its priests; they shall rejoice over it, and over its glory because it is departed from it.
- 6
- Even the idol itself shall be also carried to Assyria for a present to the great king;
Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
- 7
- Samaria has cast away her king like a chip on the face of the water.
- 8
- The high places of the idol of Aon, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed;
thorns and thistles shall grow up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
- 9
- ¶ O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Ramtha;
there they shall remain, and the battle in Ramtha against the children of iniquity shall not overtake them.
- 10
- In my rebuke I will chastise them;
and the people shall be gathered against them when they shall be chastised for their two follies.
- 11
- Ephraim is like a heifer that is trained, and loves to tread out the wheat;
but I bent her neck under the yoke; I will make Ephraim to be ridden upon, I will cause Judah to tread wheat, and Jacob shall be plundered.
- 12
- Sow for yourselves righteousness, and reap a harvest of mercy;
light a lamp for yourselves; for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and reveal his righteousness to you.
- 13
- You have plowed sin and wickedness, you have reaped iniquity;
you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your ways, and in the multitude of your mighty men;
- 14
- Therefore destruction shall come upon your people, and all your provinces shall be despoiled as plunder is divided when peace is concluded, even from Beth-el as far as the northern border;
in the day of the battle the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
- 15
- So they did to you, O Beth-el, because of your great wickedness;
in a morning was the king of Israel confounded and ashamed.
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