1 Israel is a luxuriant avine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he bmade; The richer his land, The better he made the sacred cpillars. 2 Their heart is afaithless; Now they must bear their bguilt. The Lord will cbreak down their altars And destroy their sacred pillars. 3 Surely now they will say, "We have ano king, For we do not revere the Lord. As for the king, what can he do for us?" 4 They speak mere words, With aworthless oaths they make covenants; And bjudgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. 5 The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the acalf of bBeth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its cidolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its dglory, since it has departed from it. 6 The thing itself will be carried to aAssyria As tribute to bKing Jareb; Ephraim will be cseized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its down counsel. 7 Samaria will be acut off with her king Like a stick on the surface of the water. 8 Also the ahigh places of Aven, the bsin of Israel, will be destroyed; cThorn and thistle will grow on their altars; Then they will dsay 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 adesire, I will bchastise them; And cthe peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt. 11 Ephraim is a trained aheifer that loves to thresh, But I will bcome over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself. 12 aSow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; bBreak up your fallow ground, For it is time to cseek the Lord Until He dcomes to erain righteousness on you. 13 You have aplowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of blies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your cnumerous warriors, 14 Therefore a tumult will arise among your people, And all your afortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When bmothers 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.