Hosea 10:1-8

1Israel was like a healthy vine that had lots of grapes. But as the Israelites became more and more rich, they built more and more altars. As their land gave more crops, they made the pillars that they worshipped more beautiful.

2They do not truly trust God. They are guilty and they must receive their punishment. The Lord will break their altars. He will destroy their special pillars.

3Soon these people will say, ‘We did not respect the Lord's authority. Because of that we have no king. But even if we had a king now, he could not do anything to help us.’

4They promise to do many things, but they never do what they promise. They make useless agreements. So people accuse each other in the courts. They are like weeds that grow in a farmer's field.

5The people who live in Samaria will be afraid. They will worry about their image of a calf at Beth Aven. They will weep because it will go away from them. The priests who serve the idol will cry too. They know that an enemy will take away their great and beautiful idol.

6Assyria's army will carry the idol away. It will be a gift to give honour to Assyria's great king. Ephraim's people will feel ashamed. They will be sorry that they trusted in their wooden idol.

7The people of Samaria and their king will come to an end. They will be like a small stick that water carries away.

8The wicked altars on the hills will break into pieces. These are places where Israel's people have done bad things. Thorn bushes and weeds will grow all over their altars. Then the people will say to the mountains, ‘Hide us!’ They will say to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’