² Their heart is deceitful,^(A)
    and now they must bear their guilt.^(B)
The Lord will demolish their altars^(C)
    and destroy their sacred stones.^(D)

³ Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us?”
⁴ They make many promises,
    take false oaths^(E)
    and make agreements;^(F)
therefore lawsuits spring up
    like poisonous weeds^(G) in a plowed field.
⁵ The people who live in Samaria fear
    for the calf-idol^(H) of Beth Aven.^[a](I)
Its people will mourn over it,
    and so will its idolatrous priests,^(J)
those who had rejoiced over its splendor,
    because it is taken from them into exile.^(K)
6 It will be carried to Assyria^(L)
    as tribute^(M) for the great king.^(N)
Ephraim will be disgraced;^(O)
    Israel will be ashamed^(P) of its foreign alliances.