Hos 10:1Israel is a luxuriant and prolific vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made [to Baal]; The richer his land, The better he made the [idolatrous] pillars.
Hos 10:2Their heart is divided (faithless); Now they must bear their guilt and punishment. The LORD will break down [the horns of] their altars; He will destroy their idolatrous pillars.
Hos 10:3¶ Surely now they will say [in despair], "We have no [true] king, For we do not revere the LORD; And as for the king, what can he do for us [to rescue us]?"
Hos 10:4They have spoken empty (disingenuous) words, Swearing falsely to make covenants [they intend to break]; Therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
Hos 10:5The people of Samaria will fear and tremble For the [idolatrous] calf of Beth-aven (House of Wickedness). Indeed, its people will mourn over it And its idolatrous priests will cry out and wail over it, Over its glory, because the glory [of their calf god] has departed from it.
Hos 10:6The golden calf itself will be carried to Assyria As tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will be seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of his own counsel [to worship the calf and separate Israel from Judah].
Hos 10:7As for Samaria, her king will be cut off and float away Like a twig on the surface of the water.
Hos 10:8Also the high places of Aven (Beth-aven), the sin of Israel, will be destroyed; The thorn and the thistle will grow on their [pagan] altars, And [in despair] they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!" [Luke 23:30; Rev 6:16; 9:6]
Hos 10:9O Israel, you have [willfully] sinned since the days of Gibeah; There they (Israel) stand! Will not the battle against the sons of wickedness overtake them at Gibeah? [Judg 20]
Hos 10:10When it is my desire [to defend My righteousness], I will chastise them; And [hostile] peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound and punished for their double guilt [their revolt against the LORD and their worship of idols]. [Jer 2:13; Lam 3:31-33]
Hos 10:11¶ Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to tread out the grain, But I will come over her fair neck with a heavy yoke [for hard field work]. I will harness Ephraim; Judah will plow and Jacob will harrow and rake for himself.
Hos 10:12Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate]; Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to seek and search diligently for the LORD [and to long for His blessing] Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you. [2 Cor 9:10]
Hos 10:13You have plowed and planted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors], You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and your chariots, and in your many warriors,
Hos 10:14Therefore an uproar will arise among your people, And all your fortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. [2 Kin 17:3]
Hos 10:15In this way it will be done to you at [idolatrous] Bethel because of your great wickedness; At daybreak the king of Israel will be completely cut off.