1“Yisra’el was a luxuriant vine, which put forth fruit freely: as his fruit increased, he increased his altars; the more goodly his land was, the more goodly were his pillars. 2Their heart is divided; now shall they bear their guilt; He will break down their altars, He will spoil their pillars. 3Surely now shall they say, ‘We have no king; for we feared not יהוה ; and the king, what can he do for us?’ 4They speak words, they swear falsely, they make covenants; thus judgment springs up as hemlock in the furrows of the field. 5The inhabitants of Shomron shall be in dread for the calves of Beit Aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof shall tremble for it, for its glory, because it is departed from it. 6It also shall be carried unto Ashur, for a present to King Yarev; Efrayim shall receive shame, and Yisra’el shall be ashamed of his own counsel. 7As for Shomron, her king is cut off, as foam upon the water. 8The high places also of Aven shall be destroyed, even the sin of Yisra’el. 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’.”
9From the days of Giv’ah you have sinned, O Yisra’el; there they stood; no battle was to overtake them in Giv’ah, nor the children of arrogance. 10When it is My desire, I will chastise them; and the peoples shall be gathered against them, when they are yoked to their two rings. 11And Efrayim is a heifer well broken, that loves to thresh, and I have passed over upon her fair neck; I will make Efrayim to ride, Yehudah shall plow, Ya’akov shall break his clods. 12Sow to yourselves according to tzedaka, reap according to compassion, break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek יהוה , till He comes and causes tzedaka to rain upon you. 13You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped iniquity, you have eaten the fruit of lies; for you did trust in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men. 14Therefore shall a tumult arise among your hosts, and all your fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beit Arvel in the day of battle; the mother was dashed in pieces with her children. 15So has Beit El done unto you because of your great wickedness; at daybreak is Melekh Yisra’el utterly cut off.
אגֶּפֶן בּוֹקֵק יִשְׂרָאֵל פְּרִי יְשַׁוֶּה לּוֹ; כְּרֹב לְפִרְיוֹ הִרְבָּה לַמִּזְבְּחוֹת כְּטוֹב לְאַרְצוֹ הֵיטִיבוּ מַצֵּבוֹת. בחָלַק לִבָּם עַתָּה יֶאְשָׁמוּ; הוּא יַעֲרֹף מִזְבְּחוֹתָם יְשֹׁדֵד מַצֵּבוֹתָם. גכִּי עַתָּה יֹאמְרוּ אֵין מֶלֶךְ לָנוּ: כִּי לֹא יָרֵאנוּ אֶת יהוה וְהַמֶּלֶךְ מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה לָּנוּ. דדִּבְּרוּ דְבָרִים אָלוֹת שָׁוְא כָּרֹת בְּרִית; וּפָרַח כָּרֹאשׁ מִשְׁפָּט עַל תַּלְמֵי שָׂדָי. הלְעֶגְלוֹת בֵּית אָוֶן יָגוּרוּ שְׁכַן שֹׁמְרוֹן: כִּי אָבַל עָלָיו עַמּוֹ וּכְמָרָיו עָלָיו יָגִילוּ עַל כְּבוֹדוֹ כִּי גָלָה מִמֶּנּוּ. וגַּם אוֹתוֹ לְאַשּׁוּר יוּבָל מִנְחָה לְמֶלֶךְ יָרֵב; בָּשְׁנָה אֶפְרַיִם יִקָּח וְיֵבוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֲצָתוֹ. זנִדְמֶה שֹׁמְרוֹן מַלְכָּהּ כְּקֶצֶף עַל פְּנֵי מָיִם. חוְנִשְׁמְדוּ בָּמוֹת אָוֶן חַטַּאת יִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר יַעֲלֶה עַל מִזְבְּחוֹתָם; וְאָמְרוּ לֶהָרִים כַּסּוּנוּ וְלַגְּבָעוֹת נִפְלוּ עָלֵינוּ.
טמִימֵי הַגִּבְעָה חָטָאתָ יִשְׂרָאֵל; שָׁם עָמָדוּ לֹא תַשִּׂיגֵם בַּגִּבְעָה מִלְחָמָה עַל בְּנֵי עַלְוָה. יבְּאַוָּתִי וְאֶסֳּרֵם; וְאֻסְּפוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עַמִּים בְּאָסְרָם לִשְׁתֵּי עינתם (עוֹנוֹתָם). יאוְאֶפְרַיִם עֶגְלָה מְלֻמָּדָה אֹהַבְתִּי לָדוּשׁ וַאֲנִי עָבַרְתִּי עַל טוּב צַוָּארָהּ; אַרְכִּיב אֶפְרַיִם יַחֲרוֹשׁ יְהוּדָה יְשַׂדֶּד לוֹ יַעֲקֹב. יבזִרְעוּ לָכֶם לִצְדָקָה קִצְרוּ לְפִי חֶסֶד נִירוּ לָכֶם נִיר; וְעֵת לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת יהוה עַד יָבוֹא וְיֹרֶה צֶדֶק לָכֶם. יגחֲרַשְׁתֶּם רֶשַׁע עַוְלָתָה קְצַרְתֶּם אֲכַלְתֶּם פְּרִי כָחַשׁ כִּי בָטַחְתָּ בְדַרְכְּךָ בְּרֹב גִּבּוֹרֶיךָ. ידוְקָאם שָׁאוֹן בְּעַמֶּךָ וְכָל מִבְצָרֶיךָ יוּשַּׁד כְּשֹׁד שַׁלְמַן בֵּית אַרְבֵאל בְּיוֹם מִלְחָמָה: אֵם עַל בָּנִים רֻטָּשָׁה. טוכָּכָה עָשָׂה לָכֶם בֵּית אֵל מִפְּנֵי רָעַת רָעַתְכֶם; בַּשַּׁחַר נִדְמֹה נִדְמָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 