Study Desk

Israel is a luxuriant ^(C1)vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he ^(C2)made; The ^(F1)richer his land, The better ^(F2)he made the ^(C3)memorial stones.

Their heart is ^(F1)(C1)deceitful; Now they must suffer for their ^(C2)guilt. ^(F2)The LORD will ^(C3)break down their altars And destroy their memorial stones.

Certainly now they will say, "We have ^(C1)no king, For we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for us?"

They speak mere words, ^(F1)With ^(C1)worthless oaths they make covenants; And ^(C2)judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the ^(F1)(C1)calf of ^(C2)Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its ^(C3)idolatrous priests ^(F2)will cry out over it, Over its ^(C4)glory, since it has left it.

The thing itself will be brought to ^(C1)Assyria As a gift of tribute to ^(F1)(C2)King Jareb; Ephraim will ^(F2)be ^(C3)seized with shame, And Israel will be ashamed of its ^(C4)own plan.

Samaria will be ^(C1)destroyed with her king, Like a twig on the surface of the water.

Also the ^(C1)high places of Aven, the ^(C2)sin of Israel, will be destroyed; ^(C3)Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars; Then they will ^(C4)say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!"

Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, Israel; There they stand! Will the battle against the sons of injustice not overtake them in Gibeah?

When it is My ^(C1)desire, I will ^(F1)(C2)discipline them; And ^(C3)the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt.

Ephraim is a trained ^(C1)heifer that loves to thresh, ^(F1)And I ^(C2)passed over her lovely neck; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will ^(F2)harrow for himself.

^(C1)Sow for yourselves, with a view to righteousness; Harvest in accordance with ^(F1)kindness. ^(C2)Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to ^(C3)seek the LORD Until He ^(C4)comes and ^(C5)rains righteousness on you.

You have ^(C1)plowed wickedness, you have harvested injustice, You have eaten the fruit of ^(C2)lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your ^(C3)many warriors,

An uproar will arise among your people, And all your ^(C1)fortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When ^(C2)mothers were ^(F1)slaughtered with their children.

So it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.