Old Testament · Prophets

Hosea chapter 10

Israel was a , spreading its fruit everywhere. But the more fruit it produced, the more altars he built. The more his land flourished, the more beautiful he made his .Their hearts are — now they will bear the consequences. Yahweh will tear down their altars and shatter their sacred pillars.Soon they will say, “We have no king, because we didn’t Yahweh. And a king — what could he even do for us?”They speak empty words, swearing false oaths, cutting deals. So springs up like in the furrows of a plowed field.The people of Samaria tremble for the of . Its people mourn over it, and its priests writhe in anguish for its — because that glory has departed from it.It will be carried off to Assyria as tribute for . will be humiliated, and Israel will be ashamed of its own plans.Samaria’s king will vanish like a .The of will be destroyed — the very places where Israel kept . Thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. They will cry out to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”Since the days of you have kept failing, Israel. There they took their stand. Will not war overtake them in Gibeah, waged against these corrupt people?When I choose, I will them. Nations will gather against them when they are bound for their .Ephraim was a who loved to thresh — and I spared her beautiful neck. But now I will put Ephraim in the . Judah must plow; Jacob must break up his own ground.Plant the seeds of , and you will harvest . Break up your unplowed ground — it is time to seek Yahweh until he comes and rains down on you.But you plowed and harvested injustice. You ate the fruit of your own lies, because you trusted in your own and in the size of your armies.So the roar of battle will rise against your people, and all your fortresses will be demolished — like demolished on the day of war, when mothers were crushed alongside their children.This is what will happen to you, , because of the depth of your wickedness. When that day dawns, Israel’s king will be .