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¹ A luxuriant vine, is Israel, fruit, beseemeth him, - According to the abundance of his fruit, hath he brought abundance to the altars, according to the goodliness of his land, hath he made goodly statues.² Hypocritical is their heart, Now, shall they be held guilty, - He, will break down their altars, he will destroy their statutes.³ For, now, will they say, We have no king, - for we revere not Yahweh, and what could, a king, do for us?⁴ They have spoken words, swearing falsely, in solemnizing a covenant, - therefore shall judgment, spring up like a poisonous plant, on the ridges of the field.⁵ About the calves of Beth-aven, will the inhabitant of Samaria be concerned, - for the people thereof, have mourned over it, and, the ascetics thereof, who, over it, used to exult, shall mourn for the glory thereof, because it hath departed therefrom.⁶ Itself also, to Assyria, shall be borne along, as a present to a hostile king, - shame, shall Ephraim receive, that Israel, may be ashamed, of his own counsel.⁷ Silenced is Samaria: her king, is as a chip on the face of the waters,⁸ So shall the high places of Aven, be destroyed, the sin of Israel, Thorn and prickle, shall come up on their altars, - Therefore shall they say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

⁹ Beyond the days of Gibeah, hast thou sinned, O Israel: there, came they to a stand, the battle against the sons of perversity, touched them not in Gibeah.¹⁰ When I please, then will I chastise them, - and there shall be gathered together against them - peoples, they being harnessed to their two Iniquities;¹¹ But, Ephraim, shall be a heifer broken in, loving to tread out corn, when, I, have passed over upon her fair neck, - I will drive Ephraim, Judah, shall plow, Jacob, shall harrow to him.¹² Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap ye at thc bidding of lovingkindness, furrow to yourselves the newly-ploughed soil, - then will be the time to seek Yahweh, until he come, that he may rain down righteousness for you.¹³ Ye have plowed lawlessness, perversity, have ye reaped, ye have eaten the fruit of deception, - because thou didst trust in thy chariots, in the multitude of thy mighty men.¹⁴ Therefore shall there arise a tumult among thy peoples, and, all thy fortresses, shall be plundered, as Shalman plundered Beth-arbel, in the day of battle, - the mother, upon her children, dashed to the ground.¹⁵ Even so, hath Bethel, done to you, because of your exceeding wickedness, - in the dawn, shall the king of Israel be, utterly silenced.