Chapter 10

A spreading vine is yonder vine of Israel, and fruit of him matches leaf. Rich, fertile soil; alas, how rich in altars, in sacred trees how fertile!

A race half loyal, half false, but the penalty must be paid in full; those altars God himself will devote to extinction, strip those trees bare.

King we have none, you say; God we fear not; what of the great king? What will he do to us?

All is vain promise and making of treaties; never a furrow in your land but shall yield the bitter fruit of punishment.

Calf3 of Bethaven, the folk of Samaria once honoured, what ado is here! Mourns people and writhes priest at the passing of its glory;

carried off, now, into Assyria, for the pleasure of a ruthless king; fooled is Ephraim, Israel’s hopes have played him false.

Like foam on the river Samaria sees her king pass by;

and with that, vanish the hill-shrines of false worship, Israel’s darling sin; grows thorn and thistle on their altars; no prayer have the men of Israel now but that mountains should fall on them, hills should bury them alive.

Old is the tale of Israel’s guilt, old as what befell at Gabaa; there stood they unmoved; was it not at Gabaa the tide of battle reached them, battle against the champions of wrong?

A jealous chastiser I will be to them; twofold their guilt, and many the nations I will muster for their chastisement.

Heifer that has learned the welcome task of the threshing-floor, such is Ephraim; that sleek neck of hers I have spared till now; now she is to be harnessed; when Juda goes a-ploughing, Jacob it shall be that breaks the clods for him.

If mercy is to be the measure you reap by, seed of yours must be sown in right doing; there are fallow acres to be tilled. Not too late to have recourse to the Lord, waiting for him to come and bring6 you redress!

But alas, shameful furrows7 they were you traced, and what came of it? A harvest of wrong, fruit that cheated you in the tasting! So thou wouldst trust in thy own devices, in thy own warrior strength?

Believe me, there shall be turmoil among thy folk, and all thy strongholds shall fall, as fell Salmana before Jerobaal8 when the day was won; fell child, fell mother, dashed to pieces.

So much shall yonder Bethel countervail the heinousness of your guilt!