Osee 9

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, neither make merry, as [other] nations: for you have gone a-whoring from your God; you have loved gifts upon every threshing floor.

Israel, don't rejoice! Don't celebrate like other nations! For you have practiced prostitution; you have loved a prostitute's wages on every threshing floor of grain.

2 The threshing floor and wine-press knew them not, and the wine disappointed them.

Your threshing floors and winepresses will not feed you; the land will fail to produce your new wine.

3 They lived not in the Lord's land: Ephraim lived in Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things amongst the Assyrians.

You will not stay in the Lord's land, instead Ephraim will return to Egypt, and will eat unclean food in Assyria.

4 They have not offered wine to the Lord, neither have their sacrifices been sweet to him, [but] as the bread of mourning to them; all that eat them shall be defiled; for their bread for their soul shall not enter into the house of the Lord.

You won't pour out any drink offerings to the Lord. None of your sacrifices will please him. Your sacrifices will be like food eaten by a person in mourning—all who eat will be unclean. You will eat this food yourselves, but it will not enter the house of the Lord.

5 What will you do in the day of the general assembly, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?

What are you going to do on the days of your appointed religious feasts, on the days of the festivals of the Lord?

6 Therefore, behold, they go forth from the trouble of Egypt, and Memphis shall receive them, and Machmas shall bury them: [as for] their silver, destruction shall inherit it; thorns [shall be] in their tents.

Look, they have left because of the destruction: Egypt with gather them, and Memphis will bury them. They gain a “valued possession” for their silver. Weeds will possess them, and thorns will grow over their tents.

7 The days of vengeance are come, the days of your recompense are come; and Israel shall be afflicted as the prophet that is mad, as a man deranged: by reason of the multitude of your iniquities your madness has abounded.

The time of punishment has come; the day of retribution has arrived. Let Israel know! You say the prophet is a fool, the man of the Spirit is mad, because your sin and hostility is so great.

8 The watchman of Ephraim [was] with God: the prophet is a crooked snare in all his ways: they have established madness in the house of God.

The watchman over Ephraim is with my God, and a prophet is a birdcatcher's snare on all his ways. Hatred is in the house of his God

9 They have corrupted themselves according to the days of the hill: he will remember their iniquities, he will take vengeance on their sins.

for they have corrupted themselves so deeply, as in the time of Gibeah. He will remember their sin; he will punish their wickedness.

10 I found Israel as grapes in the wilderness, and I saw their fathers as an early watchman in a fig tree: they went in to Beel-phegor, and were shamefully estranged, and the abominable became as the beloved.

When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your forefathers it was like seeing early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they gave themselves over to that shameful idol, becoming as filthy as the filthy thing they loved.

11 Ephraim has flown away as a bird; their glories from the birth, and the travail, and the conception.

Ephraim! Like a bird that flies away so shall your glory—no births, no pregnancies, no conceptions.

12 For even if they should rear their children, yet shall they be utterly bereaved: therefore also there is woe to them, [though] my flesh is of them.

Even if they bring up children, I will make sure they do not survive. What a disaster for you when I turn away from you!

13 Ephraim, [even] as I saw, gave their children for a prey; yes, Ephraim [was ready] to bring out his children to slaughter.

Ephraim! Just as I saw Tyre planted in a meadow, so too Ephraim will lead out his children to the murderer.

14 Give them, O Lord: what will you give them? a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts.

Give them—well, Lord, what should you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and dry breasts.

15 All their wickedness is in Galgal: for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their practices, I will cast them out of my house, I will not love them any more: all their princes are disobedient.

All of their evil began at Gilgal, and that's where I began to hate them. I will drive them out of my house because of their wickedness. I will love them no longer; all their leaders are rebels.

16 Ephraim is sick, he is dried up at his roots, he shall in no wise any more bear fruit: therefore even if they should beget [children], I will kill the desired [fruit] of their womb.

Ephraim, you are blighted, dried up from the roots. You shall bear no fruit. Even if you have children, I will slaughter your beloved offspring.

17 God shall reject them, because they have not listened to him: and they shall be wanderers amongst the nations.

My God will reject you because you have not listened to him, and you will become homeless wanderers among the nations.