Israels synder och fångenskap

10 Israel var en frodig vinstock som bar frukt.
    Men ju mer frukt han fick,
dess fler altaren byggde han åt sig.
    Ju bättre det gick hans land,
desto finare stoder reste han.
Deras hjärta är delat,
    nu skall de lida sitt straff.
Han skall själv bryta ner deras altaren
och förstöra deras stoder.
Nu skall de säga:
    "Vi har ingen kung,
ty vi fruktar inte Herren.
    Och en kung, vad skulle han kunna göra för oss?"
De talar tomma ord,
    de svär falska eder och sluter förbund,
och domen skjuter upp
    som en giftig planta ur markens fåror.

De som bor i Samaria
    är rädda för kalven i Bet-Aven.
Folket skall sörja över den,
    avgudaprästerna skall darra,
eftersom dess härlighet
    skall föras bort i fångenskap.
Också han själv skall föras till Assyrien
som en gåva åt den store kungen.
    Skam skall Efraim själv få,
Israel skall komma på skam med sina planer.

Samariens kung skall försvinna
    som en pinne på vattnet.
Ödelagda blir Avens offerhöjder,
    Israels synd.
Törne och tistel skall skjuta upp
    på deras altaren.
Då skall man säga till bergen: "Göm oss"
och till höjderna: "Fall över oss."
Israel, ända sedan Gibeas dagar har du syndat.
Där trädde de upp
    utan att kriget mot brottslingarna nådde dem i Gibea.
10 När jag vill
    kommer jag att tukta dem.
Folken skall samlas mot dem
    när jag binder dem vid deras dubbla synd.

11 Efraim är en inkörd kviga,
    som gärna vill tröska.
Men jag skall lägga ett ok
    över hennes vackra nacke.
Jag skall spänna för Efraim,
    Juda skall plöja,
Jakob skall harva.
12 Så åt er i rättfärdighet,
    skörda efter kärlekens bud,
bryt er ny mark.
    Det är tid att söka Herren,
till dess han kommer och lär er rättfärdighet.
13 Ni har plöjt ogudaktighet,
    ni har skördat orättfärdighet,
ni har ätit lögnens frukt.
    Ty du har förlitat dig på din egen väg,
på dina många hjältar.

14 Stridslarm skall uppstå bland dina stammar,
och alla dina befästningar skall ödeläggas,
så som Bet-Arbel ödelades av Salman[a] på stridens dag,
då man krossade både mödrar och barn.
15 Sådant skall Betel tillfoga er
    för er stora ondskas skull.
När morgonrodnaden går upp är det förbi,
förbi med Israels kung!

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:14 Salman syftar på den assyriske kungen Salmaneser, 2 Kung 17:1-6.

10 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.

Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.

For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord; what then should a king do to us?

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.

10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

11 And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

10 (A)Israel is a luxuriant vine
    that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
    (B)the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
    he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
    now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord[a] will break down their altars
    and destroy their pillars.

For now they will say:
    (C)“We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord;
    and a king—what could he do for us?”
They utter (D)mere words;
    with empty[b] oaths they make covenants;
so (E)judgment springs up like poisonous weeds
    (F)in the furrows of the field.
The inhabitants of Samaria tremble
    for (G)the calf[c] of (H)Beth-aven.
Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests—
    those who rejoiced over it and (I)over its glory—
    for it has departed[d] from them.
(J)The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria
    as tribute to (K)the great king.[e]
Ephraim shall be put to shame,
    and Israel shall be ashamed (L)of his idol.[f]

(M)Samaria's king shall perish
    like a twig on the face of the waters.
The high places of (N)Aven, (O)the sin of Israel,
    shall be destroyed.
(P)Thorn and thistle shall grow up
    on their altars,
and (Q)they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,”
    and to the hills, “Fall on us.”

From (R)the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel;
    there they have continued.
    Shall not the war against the unjust[g] overtake them in Gibeah?
10 (S)When I please, (T)I will discipline them,
    and nations shall be gathered against them
    when they are bound up for (U)their double iniquity.

11 Ephraim was a trained calf
    that (V)loved to thresh,
    and I spared her fair neck;
but I will put (W)Ephraim to the yoke;
    (X)Judah must plow;
    Jacob must harrow for himself.
12 (Y)Sow for yourselves righteousness;
    reap steadfast love;
    (Z)break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
    that he may come and (AA)rain righteousness upon you.

13 (AB)You have plowed iniquity;
    you have reaped injustice;
    you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
    and in the multitude of your warriors,
14 therefore (AC)the tumult of war shall arise among your people,
    and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
as (AD)Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;
    (AE)mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O (AF)Bethel,
    because of your great evil.
At dawn (AG)the king of Israel
    shall be utterly cut off.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:2 Hebrew He
  2. Hosea 10:4 Or vain (see Exodus 20:7)
  3. Hosea 10:5 Or calves
  4. Hosea 10:5 Or has gone into exile
  5. Hosea 10:6 Or to King Jareb
  6. Hosea 10:6 Or counsel
  7. Hosea 10:9 Hebrew the children of injustice