[Verse 1] Hoshea reigns over Israel and does evil, though differently from earlier kings. Hoshea conspires with Egypt and stops sending annual tribute. Samaria falls, and Israel is carried to Halah, Habor, and Median cities. The people imitate the nations and follow statutes invented by their kings. [Pre-Chorus] The warning stood where no one wished to see, And every hidden root became a tree. [Chorus] Until the LORD Removed Israel, let the warning remain, Hidden sin still flowers into pain. The word of the LORD exposed what men concealed, And judgment stood where every heart was revealed. [Verse 2] Prophets urge both Israel and Judah to turn back and keep the law. The people harden their necks like unbelieving ancestors. They reject covenant, follow vanity, and become vain. God removes Israel from his sight, leaving only Judah. [Bridge] The northern tribes remain cast out into exile. Assyria imports foreign peoples to inhabit Samaria's cities. Lions strike the settlers until an Israelite priest teaches them the manner of the land's God. Each nation keeps its own gods while also fearing the LORD in lasting mixture. [Final Chorus] Until the LORD Removed Israel, let the warning remain, Hidden sin still flowers into pain. The word of the LORD exposed what men concealed, And judgment stood where every heart stood revealed. [Outro] The warning did not vanish with the dust. The final line remembered judgment, fear, and trust.