Hosea 9
1 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.
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
2 Your threshing floors and winepresses will not feed you; the land will fail to produce your new wine.
The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them, and the new wine will fail them.
3 You will not stay in the Lord's land, instead Ephraim will return to Egypt, and will eat unclean food in Assyria.
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
4 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.
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.
5 What are you going to do on the days of your appointed religious feasts, on the days of the festivals of the Lord?
What will you do on the appointed day, on the day of the LORD’s feast?
6 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.
For even if they flee destruction, Egypt will gather them and Memphis will bury them. Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles, and thorns will overrun their tents.
7 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.
The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived— let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.
8 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
The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God, yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God!
9 for they have corrupted themselves so deeply, as in the time of Gibeah. He will remember their sin; he will punish their wickedness.
They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
10 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.
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim! Like a bird that flies away so shall your glory—no births, no pregnancies, no conceptions.
Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.
12 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!
Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them!
13 Ephraim! Just as I saw Tyre planted in a meadow, so too Ephraim will lead out his children to the murderer.
I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a meadow. But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter.
14 Give them—well, Lord, what should you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and dry breasts.
Give them, O LORD— what will You give? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that dry up!
15 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.
All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them from My house for the wickedness of their deeds. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
16 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.
Ephraim is struck down; their root is withered; they cannot bear fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay the darlings of their wombs.
17 My God will reject you because you have not listened to him, and you will become homeless wanderers among the nations.
My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
