TORAH
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KETUVIM
Hosea - Chapter 10
Translation and Transliteration of
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1Yisrael is a ravaged vine 1 And its fruit is like it. When his fruit was plentiful, He made altars aplenty; When his land was bountiful, Cult pillars abounded.
GE-fen bo-KAYK yis-ra-AYL p'-REE y'-sha-veh LO k'-ROV l'-fir-YO hir-BAH la-miz-b'-KHOT k'-TOV l'-ar-TZO hay-TEE-vu ma-tzay-VOT
אגֶּ֤פֶן בּוֹקֵק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל פְּרִ֖י יְשַׁוֶּה־לּ֑וֹ כְּרֹ֣ב לְפִרְי֗וֹ הִרְבָּה֙ לַֽמִּזְבְּח֔וֹת כְּט֣וֹב לְאַרְצ֔וֹ הֵיטִ֖יבוּ מַצֵּבֽוֹת׃
10:1 Yisrael is a ravaged vine

Grapes on a vine in Shtula, Israel
Throughout the Bible, Israel is compared to a grapevine (see, for example, Isaiah 5). Hoshea uses this metaphor to describe how as Israel prospered, they lavished even more money on their idolatries, shedding their relationship with God like an overburdened vine casts off its grapes. The Hebrew word for ‘ravaged,’ bokek (בוקק), is a play on words, and means both ‘to empty’ and to ‘lay waste’ (see Isaiah 24:1, Nahum 2:3), and also ‘luxuriant.’ Though originally prosperous, the people use their wealth inappropriately, which leads to exile of the people and to the land becoming empty and barren.
2Now that his boughs are broken up, He feels his guilt; He himself pulls apart his altars, Smashes his pillars.
kha-LAK li-BAHM a-TAH ye-a-SHA-mu, HU ya-a-ROF miz-b'-kho-TAM, ye-SHO-deD mat-SE-vo-TAM
בחָלַ֥ק לִבָּ֖ם עַתָּ֣ה יֶאְשָׁ֑מוּ ה֚וּא יַעֲרֹ֣ף מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם יְשֹׁדֵ֖ד מַצֵּבוֹתָֽם׃
3Truly, now they say, “We have no king; For, since we do not fear Hashem, What can a king do to us?”
ki a-TAH yo-M'RU, EYN me-LEKH LA-nu, ki LO ya-RAY-nu et a-do-NAI, v'-ha-ME-lekh ma ya-a-SEH LA-nu
גכִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ לָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָרֵ֙אנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽנוּ׃
4So they conclude agreements and make covenants With false oaths, And justice degenerates into poison weeds, Breaking out on the furrows of the fields.
di-B'-RU d'-va-REEM a-LOT sha-VE kar-OT b'-REET u-fa-RACH ka-ROSH mish-PAT al tal-MAY sa-DAI
דדִּבְּר֣וּ דְבָרִ֔ים אָל֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא כָּרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֑ית וּפָרַ֤ח כָּרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃
5The inhabitants of Shomron fear For the calf of Beit Aven; Indeed, its people and priestlings, Whose joy it once was, Mourn over it for the glory That is departed from it.
l'-e-g'-LOT beit a-VON ya-GU-ru sh'-Khan sho-M'-ron, kee a-VAL a-LA-yu a-MO, u-k'-ma-RA-yu a-LA-yu ya-GI-lu, al k'-vo-DO, kee ga-LAH mi-ME-nu.
הלְעֶגְלוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן יָג֖וּרוּ שְׁכַ֣ן שֹׁמְר֑וֹן כִּֽי־אָבַ֨ל עָלָ֜יו עַמּ֗וֹ וּכְמָרָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יָגִ֔ילוּ עַל־כְּבוֹד֖וֹ כִּי־גָלָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
6It too shall be brought to Assyria As tribute to a patron king; Efraim shall be chagrined, Yisrael shall be dismayed Because of his plans.
gam-o-TO l'-a-SHUR yu-VAL min-KHAH l'-ME-lekh ya-RAYV b'-sha-NAH, ef-RA-yim yi-KAH v'-ye-BOSH yis-ra-AYL me-a-TZA-to
וגַּם־אוֹתוֹ֙ לְאַשּׁ֣וּר יוּבָ֔ל מִנְחָ֖ה לְמֶ֣לֶךְ יָרֵ֑ב בׇּשְׁנָה֙ אֶפְרַ֣יִם יִקָּ֔ח וְיֵב֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעֲצָתֽוֹ׃
7Shomron's monarchy is vanishing Like foam upon water,
nid-MEH shom-ROHN mal-KAH ke-KE-tsef al pe-NEI-ma-YIM
זנִדְמֶ֥ה שֹׁמְר֖וֹן מַלְכָּ֑הּ כְּקֶ֖צֶף עַל־פְּנֵי־מָֽיִם׃
8Ruined shall be the shrines of [Beth-]aven, That sin of Yisrael. Thorns and thistles Shall grow on their altars. They shall call to the mountains, “Bury us!” To the hills, “Fall on us!”
v'-nish-M'-du ba-MOT a-VEN cha-TAT yis-ra-AYL KOTZ v'-dar-DAR ya-a-LEH al miz-b'-kho-TAM v'-a-M'-RU le-ha-REEM ka-SU-nu v'-la-ge-va-OT nif-LU a-LE-nu. (P)
חוְנִשְׁמְד֞וּ בָּמ֣וֹת אָ֗וֶן חַטַּאת֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל ק֣וֹץ וְדַרְדַּ֔ר יַעֲלֶ֖ה עַל־מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֑ם וְאָמְר֤וּ לֶהָרִים֙ כַּסּ֔וּנוּ וְלַגְּבָע֖וֹת נִפְל֥וּ עָלֵֽינוּ׃
9You have sinned more, O Yisrael, Than in the days of Giva. There they stand [as] at Giva! Shall they not be overtaken By a war upon scoundrels
mi-MEY ha-giv-AH cha-TA-ta yis-ra-EL, sham a-MA-du lo-ta-si-GEM ba-giv-AH mil-cha-MAH al b'-NAY al-VAH
טמִימֵי֙ הַגִּבְעָ֔ה חָטָ֖אתָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שָׁ֣ם עָמָ֔דוּ לֹא־תַשִּׂיגֵ֧ם בַּגִּבְעָ֛ה מִלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־בְּנֵ֥י עַֽלְוָֽה׃
10As peoples gather against them? When I chose [them], I broke them in, Harnessing them for two furrows.
b'-a-va-VA-tee v'-e-so-REM v'-u-s'-PU a-LAY-hem a-MEEM b'-o-s'-RAM lish-TAY o-NO-tam
יבְּאַוָּתִ֖י וְאֶסֳּרֵ֑ם וְאֻסְּפ֤וּ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ עַמִּ֔ים בְּאׇסְרָ֖ם לִשְׁתֵּ֥י (עינתם) [עוֹנֹתָֽם]׃
11Efraim became a trained heifer, But preferred to thresh; I placed a yoke Upon her sleek neck. I will make Efraim do advance plowing; Yehuda shall do [main] plowing! Yaakov shall do final plowing!
v'-ef-RA-yim egh-LAH me-lu-ma-DA o-HAV-tee la-DUSH va-a-NEE a-va-RTI al tuv tza-va-RAH ar-KHEEV ef-RA-yim ya-KHA-rosh y'-hu-DA ya-sa-DED-lo ya-a-KOV
יאוְאֶפְרַ֜יִם עֶגְלָ֤ה מְלֻמָּדָה֙ אֹהַ֣בְתִּי לָד֔וּשׁ וַאֲנִ֣י עָבַ֔רְתִּי עַל־ט֖וּב צַוָּארָ֑הּ אַרְכִּ֤יב אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ יַחֲר֣וֹשׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה יְשַׂדֶּד־ל֖וֹ יַעֲקֹֽב׃
12“Sow righteousness for yourselves; Reap the fruits of goodness; Break for yourselves betimes fresh ground Of seeking Hashem, So that you may obtain a teacher of righteousness.”
zi-RU la-KHEM litz-da-KAH kitz-RU le-fi-KHE-seD ni-RU la-KHEM NIR v'-ET lid-ROSH et a-do-NAI ad-ya-VO v'-yo-REH tze-DEK la-KHEM
יבזִרְע֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לִצְדָקָה֙ קִצְר֣וּ לְפִי־חֶ֔סֶד נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְעֵת֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה עַד־יָב֕וֹא וְיֹרֶ֥ה צֶ֖דֶק לָכֶֽם׃
13You have plowed wickedness, You have reaped iniquity— [And] you shall eat the fruits of treachery— Because you relied on your way, On your host of warriors.
kha-RASH-tem RE-sha a-vo-LA-ta k'-tza-RE-tem a-khal-TEM p'-REE-ka-KHASH kee-va-TAKH b'-dar-K'-KHA b'-ROV gi-BO-re-KHA
יגחֲרַשְׁתֶּם־רֶ֛שַׁע עַוְלָ֥תָה קְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֲכַלְתֶּ֣ם פְּרִי־כָ֑חַשׁ כִּי־בָטַ֥חְתָּ בְדַרְכְּךָ֖ בְּרֹ֥ב גִּבּוֹרֶֽיךָ׃
14But the din of war shall arise in your own people, And all your fortresses shall be ravaged As Beth-arbel was ravaged by Shalman On a day of battle, When mothers and babes were dashed to death together.
v'-KAM sha-ON b'-a-ME-kha, v'-KOL mitz-a-RE-kha yu-SHAD, k'-SHOD shal-MAN bAYT ar-VE-al b'-YOM mil-cha-MAH, AYM al-ba-NEEM rut-TA-shah
ידוְקָ֣אם שָׁאוֹן֮ בְּעַמֶּ֒ךָ֒ וְכׇל־מִבְצָרֶ֣יךָ יוּשַּׁ֔ד כְּשֹׁ֧ד שַֽׁלְמַ֛ן בֵּ֥ית אַֽרְבֵ֖אל בְּי֣וֹם מִלְחָמָ֑ה אֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנִ֖ים רֻטָּֽשָׁה׃
15This is what Beit El has done to you For your horrible wickedness: At dawn shall Yisrael's monarchy Utterly perish.
ka-KHA a-SAH la-KHEM beit-EL mi-p'-NE ra-AT ra-a-T'-KHEM ba-SHA-khar nid-MO nid-MA me-LEKH yis-ra-AYL
טוכָּ֗כָה עָשָׂ֤ה לָכֶם֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל מִפְּנֵ֖י רָעַ֣ת רָעַתְכֶ֑ם בַּשַּׁ֕חַר נִדְמֹ֥ה נִדְמָ֖ה מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃