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Hosea 10
International Standard Version
Hosea 10
International Standard Version
The Coming Destruction
10 “Israel, the overgrown[a] vine, bears fruit like itself;
the more fruitful they become,
the more altars they build.
The better the land,
the more ornate the stone idols.[b]
2 Their hearts are divided;
from now on they are to be found guilty.
God[c] will tear down their altars,
he will destroy their stone idols.[d]
3 From now on they will say,
‘We have no king,
because we did not fear the Lord—
and what would a king do for us?’
4 Their word is falsely given
as they make their agreements;[e]
so judgment springs up
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.[f]
5 “The residents of Samaria will be terrified
because of the cows[g] of Beth-aven.
Its people will mourn over Beth-aven,[h]
along with the priests who will mourn its glory,
because that glory has departed.[i]
6 Indeed, that glory[j] will be carried to Assyria—
it will become a present for an avenging king.[k]
Ephraim will be disgraced,
and Israel will become ashamed of its decision.
7 Samaria’s king will float away
like driftwood on the surface of water.
8 Destroyed will be the high places of Aven,
that are the sin of Israel.
Both thorn and thistle will grow up over their altars.
They will call out to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’
and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’
9 “From the time of Gibeah,
you have sinned, Israel;
There they took their stand;
the battle at Gibeah could not subdue the lawless.
10 When I’m ready, I will chasten them;
and the people will gather against them,
to imprison them for their two unrighteous acts.”[l]
Israel Urged to Sow in Righteousness
11 “Ephraim, the well-trained heifer,
loves to thresh grain,
so I will spare her neck.
I will turn Ephraim into a pack animal.
Judah will pull the plow,
and Jacob will turn up the fallow ground.
12 Sow in righteousness in your own interest,
reap in gracious love,
break up your own unprepared ground;
It is now time to inquire of[m] the Lord,
until he comes to pour out righteousness for you.
13 You have plowed[n] evil;
you have reaped unrighteousness;
you have eaten the fruit of hypocrisy;
because you trusted in your own direction,
and in the number of your mighty forces.
14 Therefore a disaster will come upon your people,
and all of your fortresses will be ruined.
As Shalman[o] destroyed Beth-arbel in wartime,
mothers were[p] dashed to pieces
along with their children.
15 The same will happen to you, Bethel,
because of your great evil—
early one morning the king of Israel will be totally silenced.”
Footnotes
- Hosea 10:1 Or empty
- Hosea 10:1 Or pillars
- Hosea 10:2 Lit. He
- Hosea 10:2 Or pillars
- Hosea 10:4 Lit. make a covenant
- Hosea 10:4 Cf. Deut 29:18
- Hosea 10:5 I.e. Canaanite heifer deities
- Hosea 10:5 Lit. it
- Hosea 10:5 The Heb. verb depart is similar to the Heb. verb mourn
- Hosea 10:6 Lit. Indeed, it
- Hosea 10:6 Cf. 2Kings 15-16; 2Chr 28:19-20
- Hosea 10:10 So LXX. MT reads two eyes
- Hosea 10:12 Or to worship
- Hosea 10:13 Or fashioned
- Hosea 10:14 Possibly Shalmaneser, king of Assyria; cf. 2Kings 17:3
- Hosea 10:14 Lit. a mother was
Hosea 10
New International Version
Hosea 10
New International Version
10 Israel was a spreading vine;(A)
he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
he built more altars;(B)
as his land prospered,(C)
he adorned his sacred stones.(D)
2 Their heart is deceitful,(E)
and now they must bear their guilt.(F)
The Lord will demolish their altars(G)
and destroy their sacred stones.(H)
3 Then they will say, “We have no king
because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
what could he do for us?”
4 They make many promises,
take false oaths(I)
and make agreements;(J)
therefore lawsuits spring up
like poisonous weeds(K) in a plowed field.
5 The people who live in Samaria fear
for the calf-idol(L) of Beth Aven.[a](M)
Its people will mourn over it,
and so will its idolatrous priests,(N)
those who had rejoiced over its splendor,
because it is taken from them into exile.(O)
6 It will be carried to Assyria(P)
as tribute(Q) for the great king.(R)
Ephraim will be disgraced;(S)
Israel will be ashamed(T) of its foreign alliances.
7 Samaria’s king will be destroyed,(U)
swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
8 The high places(V) of wickedness[b](W) will be destroyed—
it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns(X) and thistles will grow up
and cover their altars.(Y)
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”(Z)
and to the hills, “Fall on us!”(AA)
9 “Since the days of Gibeah,(AB) you have sinned,(AC) Israel,
and there you have remained.[c]
Will not war again overtake
the evildoers in Gibeah?
10 When I please, I will punish(AD) them;
nations will be gathered against them
to put them in bonds for their double sin.
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer
that loves to thresh;
so I will put a yoke(AE)
on her fair neck.
I will drive Ephraim,
Judah must plow,
and Jacob must break up the ground.
12 Sow(AF) righteousness(AG) for yourselves,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;(AH)
for it is time to seek(AI) the Lord,
until he comes
and showers his righteousness(AJ) on you.
13 But you have planted wickedness,
you have reaped evil,(AK)
you have eaten the fruit of deception.(AL)
Because you have depended on your own strength
and on your many warriors,(AM)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
so that all your fortresses will be devastated(AN)—
as Shalman(AO) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.(AP)
15 So will it happen to you, Bethel,
because your wickedness is great.
When that day dawns,
the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.(AQ)
Footnotes
- Hosea 10:5 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
- Hosea 10:8 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see verse 5.
- Hosea 10:9 Or there a stand was taken
International Standard Version (ISV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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