Retribution for Israel’s Sin 1 UDB Israel is like a vine that produces many bundles of grapes. But the more their fruit increased, the richer they became. With that money they made more stone columns in honor of their idols. BSB BSB: Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.
2 UDB They are deceitful and cannot be trusted; but the time has come that they must pay for their sins. Yahweh will break their altars into pieces— the places where they gave sacrifices to their idols, and he promises to destroy those pillars beside which they worshiped their false gods. BSB BSB: Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.
3 UDB They say, "We have no king now because we did not honor or respect Yahweh. But even if we had a king, how could a king help us?" BSB BSB: Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”
4 UDB The people of Israel make lying promises and false covenants; and because their promises are not kept, their sort of justice kills people, as poisonous weeds in a field would do. BSB BSB: They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
5 UDB Those people of Samaria tremble with fear because of what happened to the calf idols at Beth Aven. Those people mourn over what happened to those idols, as did the priests who served them; they rejoiced over them and praised their splendor, but now those idols have been taken away from them. BSB BSB: The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn over it with its idolatrous priests—those who rejoiced in its glory—for it has been taken from them into exile.
6 UDB Their idols will be carried to Assyria to be a gift for the great king. The people of Israel will be disgraced; they will be ashamed for having trusted in the advice they received by consulting idols. BSB BSB: Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.
7 UDB The king of Samaria will die. He will be like a small piece of wood that floats away down a stream. BSB BSB: Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.
8 UDB The hilltop places known for their wickedness—altars where the people worshiped idols—will all be destroyed. Thorns and thistles will grow and cover all the altars that were in Samaria. The people will beg the mountains and say, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!" BSB BSB: The high places of Aven will be destroyed—it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 UDB People of Israel, since the days of Gibeah you have been sinning; it is as if you have been living there ever since then, because you think as they did. Enemies will attack you evildoers at Gibeah. BSB BSB: Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?
10 UDB Yahweh says, "When I decide to act, I will punish them. peoples will gather to fight against them; those peoples will capture them and put them in chains because of their many sins. BSB BSB: I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.
11 UDB Ephraim is like a trained calf that loves to thresh grain, separating out the grain from the chaff, and I did not put a heavy yoke on her tender neck. But now I will put Ephraim under that yoke, and Judah must plow. and Jacob must break up the ground with the harrow. BSB BSB: Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.
12 UDB Plow, now, and do what is right, and you will reap the fruit of faithful love. Do the hard work of breaking up the unplowed ground, for now is the time for you to ask Yahweh to have mercy on you, so that he may come and rescue you because he does what is right. BSB BSB: Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.
13 UDB You have sinned wickedly, and now you will have to bear the consequences. You told lies, and now you must suffer the results of the lies you told. You have trusted in your own abilities and wisdom, and you have relied on the soldiers in your armies. BSB BSB: You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your mighty men,
14 UDB The sound of war will be among your people; all your fortified cities will be destroyed. It will be as when Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in battle, when mothers were killed while they were holding their children. BSB BSB: the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.
15 UDB That is what will be done to you, you people of the city of Bethel, because of all the evil things you have done. When the battle begins at dawn, the king of Israel will be destroyed; the enemy will kill him." BSB BSB: Thus it will be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day dawns, the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.