Study Desk

My God will cast them away Because they have ^(al)not listened to Him; And they will be ^(am)wanderers among the nations.

Israel is a ^[a]luxuriant ^(a)vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he ^(b)made; The ^[b]richer his land, The better ^[c]he made the sacred ^(c)pillars.

Their heart is ^[d](d)faithless; Now they must bear their ^(e)guilt. ^[e]The Lord will ^(f)break down their altars And destroy their sacred pillars.

Surely now they will say, "We have ^(g)no king, For we do not revere the Lord . As for the king, what can he do for us?"

They speak mere words, ^[f]With ^(h)worthless oaths they make covenants; And ⁽ⁱ⁾judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the ^[g](j)calf of ^(k)Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its ^(l)idolatrous priests ^[h]will cry out over it, Over its ^(m)glory, since it has departed from it.

The thing itself will be carried to ⁽ⁿ⁾Assyria As tribute to ^[i](o)King Jareb; Ephraim will ^[j]be ^(p)seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its ^(q)own counsel.

Samaria will be ^(r)cut off with her king Like a stick on the surface of the water.

Also the ^(s)high places of Aven, the ^(t)sin of Israel, will be destroyed; ^(u)Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars; Then they will ^(v)say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!"

From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; There they stand! Will not the battle against the sons of iniquity overtake them in Gibeah?

When it is My ^(w)desire, I will ^[k](x)chastise them; And ^(y)the peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound for their double guilt.

Ephraim is a trained ^(z)heifer that loves to thresh, But I will ^(aa)come over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself.

^(ab)Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with ^[l]kindness; ^(ac)Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to ^(ad)seek the Lord Until He ^(ae)comes to ^[m](af)rain righteousness on you.

You have ^(ag)plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of ^(ah)lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your ^(ai)numerous warriors,

Therefore a tumult will arise among your people, And all your ^(aj)fortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When ^(ak)mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off.