17HE WILL REJECT THEM GOD MY FOR NOT THEY HAVE LISTENED TO HIM SO THEY MAY BE WANDERERS AMONG THE NATIONS 17My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
1[WAS] A VINE LUXURIANT ISRAEL FRUIT HE MADE FOR HIMSELF WHEN [IT] BECAME NUMEROUS TO FRUIT HIS HE MULTIPLIED <TO> THE ALTARS ACCORDING TO [THE] GOOD OF LAND HIS THEY MADE GOOD SACRED PILLARS Retribution for Israel’s Sin 1Israel 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.
2IT IS SLIPPERY HEART THEIR NOW THEY WILL BE HELD GUILTY HE HE WILL BREAK ALTARS THEIR HE WILL DESTROY SACRED PILLARS THEIR 2Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.
3FOR NOW THEY WILL SAY NOT A KING [BELONGS] TO US FOR NOT WE FEAR <OBJ.> YAHWEH AND THE KING WHAT? WILL HE DO FOR US 3Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”
4THEY HAVE SPOKEN WORDS THEY HAVE SWORN AN OATH FALSEHOOD THEY HAVE MADE A COVENANT AND IT SPROUTS UP LIKE <THE> POISONOUS PLANT JUSTICE ON [THE] FURROWS OF A FIELD 4They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
5FOR [THE] HEIFERS OF BETH AVEN THEY WILL BE AFRAID [THE] INHABITANT[S] OF SAMARIA FOR IT WILL MOURN ON IT PEOPLE ITS AND PAGAN PRIESTS ITS ON IT THEY WILL TREMBLE ON GLORY ITS FOR IT HAS GONE INTO EXILE FROM IT 5The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven.*NoteCloseBeth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29. 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
6ALSO <OBJ.> IT TO ASSYRIA IT WILL BE CARRIED TRIBUTE TO KING JAREB SHAME EPHRAIM IT WILL SEIZE AND IT MAY BE ASHAMED ISRAEL FROM OWN COUNSEL ITS 6Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king.*NoteCloseOr to King Jareb Ephraim*NoteCloseThat is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verse 11 will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.*NoteCloseOr of its own counsel
7[WILL] BE DESTROYED SAMARIA KING ITS LIKE A TWIG ON [THE] SURFACE OF [THE] WATERS 7Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.
8AND THEY WILL BE DESTROYED [THE] HIGH PLACES OF WICKEDNESS [THE] SIN OF ISRAEL THORN[S] AND THISTLE[S] IT WILL GROW UP OVER ALTARS THEIR AND THEY WILL SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS COVER US AND TO THE HILLS FALL ON US 8The high places of Aven*NoteCloseOr of wickedness; Aven is a reference to Beth-aven (a derogatory term for Bethel); see verse 5. 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!”*NoteCloseCited in Luke 23:30; see also Revelation 6:16.
9SINCE [THE] DAYS OF <THE> GIBEAH YOU HAVE SINNED O ISRAEL THERE THEY HAVE REMAINED NOT WILL IT OVERTAKE? THEM IN <THE> GIBEAH WAR ON SONS OF INJUSTICE 9Since 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?*NoteCloseOr Did not the battle overtake the sons of iniquity in Gibeah?
10AT DESIRE MY AND I WILL DISCIPLINE THEM AND THEY WILL BE GATHERED ON THEM PEOPLES WHEN HARNESS THEM TO [THE] TWO INIQUITIES THEIR 10I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.
11AND EPHRAIM [WAS] A HEIFER TRAINED [WHICH] LOVED TO THRESH AND I I PASSED OVER [THE] GOODNESS OF NECK ITS I WILL CAUSE TO DRAW EPHRAIM IT WILL PLOW JUDAH IT WILL HARROW <FOR> ITSELF JACOB 11Ephraim 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
12SOW <FOR> YOURSELVES <TO> RIGHTEOUSNESS REAP <TO> A MOUTH OF LOYALTY PLOW <FOR> YOURSELVES UNPLOWED GROUND AND [IT IS] TIME TO SEEK <OBJ.> YAHWEH UNTIL HE WILL COME AND HE MAY RAIN DOWN RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR YOU 12Sow 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.
13YOU HAVE PLOWED WICKEDNESS INJUSTICE YOU HAVE REAPED YOU HAVE EATEN [THE] FRUIT OF LYING FOR YOU HAVE TRUSTED IN OWN WAY YOUR IN [THE] MULTITUDE OF WARRIORS YOUR 13You 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,
14AND IT WILL ARISE AN UPROAR AMONG PEOPLE YOUR AND ALL FORTRESSES YOUR IT WILL BE DEVASTATED LIKE [THE] DEVASTATION OF SHALMAN BETH ARBEL ON [THE] DAY OF BATTLE MOTHER WITH CHILDREN SHE WAS DASHED IN PIECES 14the 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.
15THUS SOMEONE WILL DO TO YOU O BETH- -EL <FROM> BECAUSE OF [THE] EVIL OF WICKEDNESS YOUR AT <THE> DAWN CERTAINLY <TO BE DESTROYED> HE WILL BE DESTROYED [THE] KING OF ISRAEL 15Thus 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.