10 Israel was a spreading vine;^(A)
    he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
    he built more altars;^(B)
as his land prospered,^(C)
    he adorned his sacred stones.^(D)
2 Their heart is deceitful,^(E)
    and now they must bear their guilt.^(F)
The Lord will demolish their altars^(G)
    and destroy their sacred stones.^(H)

³ Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us?”
⁴ They make many promises,
    take false oaths^(I)
    and make agreements;^(J)
therefore lawsuits spring up
    like poisonous weeds^(K) in a plowed field.
⁵ The people who live in Samaria fear
    for the calf-idol^(L) of Beth Aven.^[a](M)
Its people will mourn over it,
    and so will its idolatrous priests,^(N)
those who had rejoiced over its splendor,
    because it is taken from them into exile.^(O)
6 It will be carried to Assyria^(P)
    as tribute^(Q) for the great king.^(R)
Ephraim will be disgraced;^(S)
    Israel will be ashamed^(T) of its foreign alliances.
⁷ Samaria’s king will be destroyed,^(U)
    swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
⁸ The high places^(V) of wickedness^[b](W) will be destroyed—
    it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns^(X) and thistles will grow up
    and cover their altars.^(Y)
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”^(Z)
    and to the hills, “Fall on us!”^(AA)

⁹ “Since the days of Gibeah,^(AB) you have sinned,^(AC) Israel,
    and there you have remained.^[c]
Will not war again overtake
    the evildoers in Gibeah?
¹⁰ When I please, I will punish^(AD) them;
    nations will be gathered against them
    to put them in bonds for their double sin.
¹¹ Ephraim is a trained heifer
    that loves to thresh;
so I will put a yoke^(AE)
    on her fair neck.
I will drive Ephraim,
    Judah must plow,
    and Jacob must break up the ground.
¹² Sow^(AF) righteousness^(AG) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;^(AH)
    for it is time to seek^(AI) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness^(AJ) on you.
¹³ But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,^(AK)
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.^(AL)
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors,^(AM)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
    so that all your fortresses will be devastated^(AN)—
as Shalman^(AO) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
    when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.^(AP)
15 So will it happen to you, Bethel,
    because your wickedness is great.
When that day dawns,
    the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.^(AQ)

⁵ “Will they not return to Egypt^(BC)
    and will not Assyria^(BD) rule over them
    because they refuse to repent?^(BE)
6 A sword^(BF) will flash in their cities;
    it will devour^(BG) their false prophets
    and put an end to their plans.
⁷ My people are determined to turn^(BH) from me.^(BI)
    Even though they call me God Most High,
    I will by no means exalt them.

⁸ “How can I give you up,^(BJ) Ephraim?^(BK)
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboyim?^(BL)
My heart is changed within me;
    all my compassion^(BM) is aroused.^(BN)
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,^(BO)
    nor will I devastate^(BP) Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man^(BQ)—
    the Holy One^(BR) among you.
    I will not come against their cities.
¹⁰ They will follow the Lord;
    he will roar^(BS) like a lion.^(BT)
When he roars,
    his children will come trembling^(BU) from the west.^(BV)
11 They will come from Egypt,
    trembling like sparrows,
    from Assyria,^(BW) fluttering like doves.^(BX)
I will settle them in their homes,”^(BY)
    declares the Lord.

⁷ The merchant uses dishonest scales^(CS)
    and loves to defraud.
⁸ Ephraim boasts,^(CT)
    “I am very rich; I have become wealthy.^(CU)
With all my wealth they will not find in me
    any iniquity or sin.”

⁹ “I have been the Lord your God
    ever since you came out of Egypt;^(CV)
I will make you live in tents^(CW) again,
    as in the days of your appointed festivals.
¹⁰ I spoke to the prophets,
    gave them many visions
    and told parables^(CX) through them.”^(CY)

¹¹ Is Gilead wicked?^(CZ)
    Its people are worthless!
Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?^(DA)
    Their altars will be like piles of stones
    on a plowed field.^(DB)
12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram^[h];^(DC)
    Israel served to get a wife,
    and to pay for her he tended sheep.^(DD)
13 The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,^(DE)
    by a prophet he cared for him.^(DF)
14 But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;
    his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed^(DG)
    and will repay him for his contempt.^(DH)

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^(B)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.^(C)
3 For I envied^(D) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(E)

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
5 They are free^(F) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride^(G) is their necklace;^(H)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(I)
7 From their callous hearts^(J) comes iniquity^[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;^(K)
    with arrogance^(L) they threaten oppression.^(M)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,^(N) they go on amassing wealth.^(O)

¹³ Surely in vain^(P) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.^(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,^(R)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand^(S) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary^(T) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.^(U)

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;^(V)
    you cast them down to ruin.^(W)
19 How suddenly^(X) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away^(Y) by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream^(Z) when one awakes;^(AA)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.^(AB)

²¹ When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless^(AC) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast^(AD) before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.^(AE)
24 You guide^(AF) me with your counsel,^(AG)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?^(AH)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.^(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart^(AJ) may fail,^(AK)
    but God is the strength^(AL) of my heart
    and my portion^(AM) forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;^(AN)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful^(AO) to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.^(AP)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;^(AQ)
    I will tell of all your deeds.^(AR)