6. It will be carried off as a payment that was demandedto the great king of Assyria.Israel will be disgraced.The people will be ashamed of trusting that idol.
7. The king of Israel will be carried offlike a chip of wood floating on the water.
8. The places of worship at Beth Aven will be destroyed.They are where Israel sins.Thorns and weeds will grow upand cover their altars.Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”And they will say to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9. “Israel, you have sinned since the time of Gibeah.The people there have continued sinning.But war will surely overwhelm them,because of the evil they have done there.
10. When I am ready,I will come to punish them.Armies will come together against them.They will be punished for their many sins.
11. Israel is like a well-trained young cowthat likes to thresh grain.But I will put a yoke on her neck.I will make Israel work hard in the field.Judah will plow.Israel will break up the ground.
12. I said, ‘Break new ground.Plant what is right.Then you will harvest good thingsfrom your loyalty to me.It is time for you to turn back to me, the Lord.Do it until I come and pour out my goodness on you.’
13. But you have planted evil.So you have harvested trouble.You have trusted in your own powerand your many soldiers.Now you must live with the result of your lies.
14. So your armies will hear the noise of battle.And all your strong, walled cities will be destroyed.It will be like the time King Shalmandestroyed Beth Arbel in battle.Mothers and children were crushed to the ground together.
15. The same will happen to you, people of Bethel,because you did so much evil.When that time comes,the king of Israel will die.