< Hosea 9 >
1 Do not choose to rejoice, Israel; do not celebrate as the crowds do. For you have been committing fornication against your God; you have loved a prize upon every threshing floor of wheat.
Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast apostatized from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-floor.
2 The threshing floor and the oil press will not feed them, and the wine will deceive them.
The floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
3 They will not dwell in the land of the Lord. Ephraim has been returned to Egypt, and he has eaten polluted things among the Assyrians.
They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean [things] in Assyria.
4 They will not offer a libation of wine to the Lord, and they will not please him. Their sacrifices will be like the bread of mourners. All those who eat it will be defiled. For their bread is of their soul; it will not enter into the house of the Lord.
They shall not offer wine -[offerings] to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing to him: their sacrifices [shall be] to them as the bread of mourners; all that eat of it shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
5 What will you do on the solemn day, on the day of the feast of the Lord?
What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
6 For, behold, they have been sent away by devastation. Egypt will gather them together; Memphis will bury them. Nettles will inherit their desired silver; the burr will be in their tabernacles.
For lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant [places] for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns [shall be] in their tabernacles.
7 The days of visitation have arrived; the days of retribution are here. Know this, Israel: that the prophet was foolish, the spiritual man was mad, because of the multitude of your iniquities and the great extent of your foolishness.
The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know [it]: the prophet [is] a fool, the spiritual man [is] mad, for the multitude of thy iniquity, and the great hatred.
8 The watcher of Ephraim was with my God. The prophet has become a snare of ruin over all his ways; insanity is in the house of his God.
The watchman of Ephraim [was] with my God: [but] the prophet [is] a snare of a fowler in all his ways, [and] hatred in the house of his God.
9 They have sinned profoundly, just as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity, and he will repay their sin.
They have deeply corrupted [themselves], as in the days of Gibeah: [therefore] he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
10 I discovered Israel like grapes in the desert. Like the first fruits of the fig tree, I saw their fathers on the end of its branches. But they went in to Baal-peor, and they have been estranged by intermingling, and they have become abominable, just like the things that they chose to love.
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time: [but] they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves to [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as they loved.
11 Ephraim has chased away their glory like a bird: from birth, and from the womb, and from conception.
[As for] Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
12 And even if they should nurture their sons, I will make them without children among men. Yes, and woe to them, when I have withdrawn from them.
Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, [that there shall] not [be] a man [left]: yes, woe also to them when I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, as I see it, was a Tyre, founded by beauty. And Ephraim will lead his sons to execution.
Ephraim, as I saw Tyre, [is] planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
14 Give them, O Lord. What will you give them? Give them a womb without children, and dry breasts.
Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for I held them there, in their hatred. Because of the malice of their inventions, I will expel them from my house. I will no longer say that I love them; all their leaders have retreated.
All their wickedness [is] in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house, I will love them no more: all their princes [are] revolters.
16 Ephraim has been struck; their root has been dried out: by no means will they yield fruit. And even if they should conceive, I will execute the most beloved of their womb.
Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yes, though they bring forth, yet will I slay [even] the beloved [fruit] of their womb.
17 My God will cast them aside because they have not listened to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.
My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken to him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.