Retribution for Israel's Sin

1Israel is a vine with goodly branches, her fruit is abundant: according to the multitude of her fruits she has multiplied her altars; according to the wealth of his land, he has set up pillars.

2They have divided their hearts; now shall they be utterly destroyed: he shall dig down their altars, their pillars shall mourn.

3Because now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord:

4and what should a king do for us, speaking false professions as his words? he will make a covenant: judgment shall spring up as a weed on the soil of the field.

5The inhabitants of Samaria shall dwell near the calf of the house of On; for the people of it mourned for it: and as they provoked him, they shall rejoice at his glory, because he has departed from them.

6And having bound it for the Assyrians, they carried it away as presents to king Jarim: Ephraim shall receive a gift, and Israel shall be ashamed of his counsel.

7Samaria has cast off her king as a twig on the surface of the water.

8And the altars of On, the sins of Israel, shall be taken away: thorns and thistles shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

9From the time the hills existed Israel has sinned: there they stood: war waged against the children of iniquity

10to chastise them shall not overtake them on the hill, the nations shall be gathered against them, when they are chastened for their two sins,

11Ephraim is a heifer taught to love victory, but I will come upon the fairest part of her neck: I will mount Ephraim; I will pass over Juda in silence; Jacob shall prevail against him.

12Sow to yourselves for righteousness, gather in for the fruit of life: light ye for yourselves the light of knowledge; seek the Lord till the fruits of righteousness come upon you.

13Wherefore have ye passed over ungodliness in silence, and reaped the sins of it? ye have eaten false fruit; for thou has trusted in thy sins, in the abundance of thy power.

14Therefore shall destruction rise up among thy people, and all thy strong places shall be ruined: as a prince Solomon departed out of the house of Jeroboam, in the days of battle they dashed the mother to the ground upon the children,

15thus will I do to you, O house of Israel, because of the unrighteousness of your sins.