• You Have Sinned, O Israel

  • 1 Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more abundant his fruit, The more altars he abounded; The better his land, The better he made the sacred pillars.
  • 2 Their heart is faithless; Now they must bear their guilt. Yahweh will break down their altars And destroy their sacred pillars.
  • 3 Surely now they will say, “We have no king, For we do not fear Yahweh. As for the king, what can he do for us?”
  • 4 They speak mere words; With worthless oaths they cut covenants; And judgment flourishes like gall in the furrows of the field.
  • 5 The dweller of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has gone into exile from them.
  • 6 The thing itself will be carried to Assyria As tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will receive shame, And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel.
  • 7 Samaria will be ruined 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 eradicated; 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 injustice overtake them in Gibeah?
  • 10 When it is My desire, I will chastise them; And the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt.

  • The Trained Heifer

  • 11 And 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 lovingkindness; Break up your fallow ground, Indeed, it is time to seek Yahweh Until He comes and rains righteousness on you.
  • 13 You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; You have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have trusted in your way, in your abundant warriors,
  • 14 Therefore a rumbling will arise among your people, And all your fortifications 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 evil of evils. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely ruined.