10How prosperous Israel is—a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit. But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build. The more bountiful their harvests, the more beautiful their sacred pillars.H3478H1238H1612H7737H6529H7230H6529H7235H4196H2896H776H2895H46762The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. The Lord will break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars.H3820H2505H816H6202H4196H7703H46763Then they will say, “We have no king because we didn’t fear the Lord. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us anyway?”H559H4428H3372H3068H4428H62134They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.H1696H1697H422H7723H3772H1285H4941H6524H7219H8525H77045The people of Samaria tremble in fear for what might happen to their calf idol at Beth-aven. The people mourn and the priests wail, because its glory will be stripped away.H7934H8111H1481H5697H1007H5971H56H3649H1523H3519H15406This idol will be carted away to Assyria, a gift to the great king there. Ephraim will be ridiculed and Israel will be shamed, because its people have trusted in this idol.H2986H804H4503H4428H3377H669H3947H1317H3478H954H60987Samaria and its king will be cut off; they will float away like driftwood on an ocean wave.H8111H4428H1820H7110H6440H43258And the pagan shrines of Aven, the place of Israel’s sin, will crumble. Thorns and thistles will grow up around their altars. They will beg the mountains, “Bury us!” and plead with the hills, “Fall on us!”H1116H206H2403H3478H8045H6975H1863H5927H4196H559H2022H3680H1389H53079The Lord says, “O Israel, ever since Gibeah, there has been only sin and more sin! You have made no progress whatsoever. Was it not right that the wicked men of Gibeah were attacked?H3478H2398H3117H1390H5975H4421H1390H1121H5932H538110Now whenever it fits my plan, I will attack you, too. I will call out the armies of the nations to punish you for your multiplied sins.H185H3256H5971H622H631H8147H586911“Israel is like a trained heifer treading out the grain—an easy job she loves. But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck. I will force Judah to pull the plow and Israel to break up the hard ground.H669H5697H3925H157H1758H5674H2898H6677H669H7392H3063H2790H3290H770212I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’H2232H6666H7114H6310H2617H5214H5215H6256H1875H3068H935H3384H666413“But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies—trusting in your military might, believing that great armies could make your nation safe.H2790H7562H7114H5766H398H6529H3585H982H1870H7230H136814Now the terrors of war will rise among your people. All your fortifications will fall, just as when Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel. Even mothers and children were dashed to death there.H7588H6965H5971H4013H7703H8020H7701H1009H3117H4421H517H7376H112115You will share that fate, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day of judgment dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.H3602H1008H6213H6440H7451H7451H7837H4428H3478H1820H1820
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. The people mourn and the priests wail, because its glory will be stripped away.H7934
