Hosea 10:7

גֶּ֤פֶן בּוֹקֵק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל פְּרִ֖י יְשַׁוֶּה־לּ֑וֹ כְּרֹ֣ב לְפִרְי֗וֹ הִרְבָּה֙ לַֽמִּזְבְּח֔וֹת כְּט֣וֹב לְאַרְצ֔וֹ הֵיטִ֖יבוּ מַצֵּבֽוֹת׃ Israel is a ravaged vine
And its fruit is like it.
When his fruit was plentiful,
He made altars aplenty;
When his land was bountiful,
Cult pillars abounded.

חָלַ֥ק לִבָּ֖ם עַתָּ֣ה יֶאְשָׁ֑מוּ ה֚וּא יַעֲרֹ֣ף מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם יְשֹׁדֵ֖ד מַצֵּבוֹתָֽם׃ Now that his boughs^aboughs Cf. 2 Sam. 18.14, where the word is rendered “thick growth.” are broken up,
He feels his guilt;
He himself pulls apart his altars,
Smashes his pillars.

כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ לָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָרֵ֙אנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽנוּ׃ Truly, now they say,
“We have no king;
For, since we do not fear GOD,
What can a king do to us?”

דִּבְּר֣וּ דְבָרִ֔ים אָל֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא כָּרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֑ית וּפָרַ֤ח כָּרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃ So they conclude agreements and make covenants
With false oaths,
And justice degenerates into poison weeds,
Breaking out^bdegenerates into poison weeds, / Breaking out Cf. Amos 6.12; lit. “breaks out like poison weeds.” on the furrows of the fields.

לְעֶגְלוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן יָג֖וּרוּ שְׁכַ֣ן שֹׁמְר֑וֹן כִּֽי־אָבַ֨ל עָלָ֜יו עַמּ֗וֹ וּכְמָרָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יָגִ֔ילוּ עַל־כְּבוֹד֖וֹ כִּי־גָלָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ The inhabitants of Samaria fear
For the calf of Beth-aven;^cBeth-aven See the second note at 4.15.
Indeed, its people and priestlings,
Whose joy it once was,^dWhose joy it once was Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Mourn over it for the glory
That is departed from it.

גַּם־אוֹתוֹ֙ לְאַשּׁ֣וּר יוּבָ֔ל מִנְחָ֖ה לְמֶ֣לֶךְ יָרֵ֑ב בׇּשְׁנָה֙ אֶפְרַ֣יִם יִקָּ֔ח וְיֵב֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעֲצָתֽוֹ׃ It too shall be brought to Assyria
As tribute to a patron^epatron See the second note at 5.13. king;
Ephraim shall be chagrined,
Israel shall be dismayed
Because of his plans.^fplans Emendation yields “image,” referring to the calf.

וְנִשְׁמְד֞וּ בָּמ֣וֹת אָ֗וֶן חַטַּאת֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל ק֣וֹץ וְדַרְדַּ֔ר יַעֲלֶ֖ה עַל־מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֑ם וְאָמְר֤וּ לֶהָרִים֙ כַּסּ֔וּנוּ וְלַגְּבָע֖וֹת נִפְל֥וּ עָלֵֽינוּ׃ {פ}
Ruined shall be the shrines of [Beth-]aven,^h[Beth-]aven See the second note at 4.15.
That sin of Israel.
Thorns and thistles
Shall grow on their altars.
They shall call to the mountains, “Bury us!”
To the hills, “Fall on us!”

מִימֵי֙ הַגִּבְעָ֔ה חָטָ֖אתָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שָׁ֣ם עָמָ֔דוּ לֹא־תַשִּׂיגֵ֧ם בַּגִּבְעָ֛ה מִלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־בְּנֵ֥י עַֽלְוָֽה׃ You have sinned more, O Israel,
Than in the days of Gibeah.ⁱthe days of Gibeah See note at 9.9.
There they stand [as] at Gibeah!
Shall they not be overtaken
By a war upon scoundrels

בְּאַוָּתִ֖י וְאֶסֳּרֵ֑ם וְאֻסְּפ֤וּ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ עַמִּ֔ים בְּאׇסְרָ֖ם לִשְׁתֵּ֥י (עינתם) [עוֹנֹתָֽם]׃ As peoples gather against them?^jThere they stand … gather against them Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
When I chose [them], I broke them in,
Harnessing them for two furrows.

וְאֶפְרַ֜יִם עֶגְלָ֤ה מְלֻמָּדָה֙ אֹהַ֣בְתִּי לָד֔וּשׁ וַאֲנִ֣י עָבַ֔רְתִּי עַל־ט֖וּב צַוָּארָ֑הּ אַרְכִּ֤יב אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ יַחֲר֣וֹשׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה יְשַׂדֶּד־ל֖וֹ יַעֲקֹֽב׃ Ephraim became a trained heifer,
But preferred to thresh;
I placed a yoke
Upon her sleek neck.^kplaced a yoke / Upon her sleek neck Lit. “passed over the comeliness of its neck.”
I will make Ephraim do advance plowing;^ldo advance plowing Taking rkb in the sense of the Arabic krb.
Judah^mJudah Emendation yields “Israel.” shall do [main] plowing!
Jacob shall do final plowing!

זִרְע֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לִצְדָקָה֙ קִצְר֣וּ לְפִי־חֶ֔סֶד נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְעֵת֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה עַד־יָב֕וֹא וְיֹרֶ֥ה צֶ֖דֶק לָכֶֽם׃ “Sow righteousness for yourselves;
Reap the fruits ofⁿthe fruits of Lit. “according to.” goodness;
Break for yourselves betimes fresh ground
Of seeking GOD,
So that you may obtain a teacher^oa teacher Meaning of Heb. uncertain; Septuagint reads “the fruits.” of righteousness.”

חֲרַשְׁתֶּם־רֶ֛שַׁע עַוְלָ֥תָה קְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֲכַלְתֶּ֣ם פְּרִי־כָ֑חַשׁ כִּי־בָטַ֥חְתָּ בְדַרְכְּךָ֖ בְּרֹ֥ב גִּבּוֹרֶֽיךָ׃ You have plowed wickedness,
You have reaped iniquity—
[And] you shall eat the fruits of treachery—
Because you relied on your way,^pway Septuagint reads “chariots.”
On your host of warriors.

וְקָ֣אם שָׁאוֹן֮ בְּעַמֶּ֒ךָ֒ וְכׇל־מִבְצָרֶ֣יךָ יוּשַּׁ֔ד כְּשֹׁ֧ד שַֽׁלְמַ֛ן בֵּ֥ית אַֽרְבֵ֖אל בְּי֣וֹם מִלְחָמָ֑ה אֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנִ֖ים רֻטָּֽשָׁה׃ But the din of war shall arise in your own people,
And all your fortresses shall be ravaged
As Beth-arbel was ravaged by Shalman^qShalman Perhaps identical with the Shallum of 2 Kings 15.10ff.; cf. the atrocities of Shallum’s rival in 15.16.
On a day of battle,
When mothers and babes were dashed to death together.

כָּ֗כָה עָשָׂ֤ה לָכֶם֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל מִפְּנֵ֖י רָעַ֣ת רָעַתְכֶ֑ם בַּשַּׁ֕חַר נִדְמֹ֥ה נִדְמָ֖ה מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ This is what Bethel has done to you^ris what Bethel has done to you Emendation yields “will I do to you, O House of Israel.”
For your horrible wickedness:
At dawn^sAt dawn Meaning, perhaps, “swiftly as the dawn”; cf. v. 7 above, “like foam upon water.” shall Israel’s monarchy
Utterly perish.