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.

Rejoice not too loudly, Israel, like the nations, for you have commited adultery, being untrue to your God. You have loved a prostitute’s wages on every threshing floor.

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

Threshing floor and wine vat won’t feed them, 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 stay in the Lord’s land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean.

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 libations of wine to the Lord, nor please him with their sacrifices. Their bread will be like the bread of mourners: all who eat it will defile themselves. For their bread will be only for their hunger, it will not come into the Lord’s temple.

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 day of the festival? Or 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.

Even if they flee from destruction, Egypt will gather them, Memphis will bury them. Nettles will take possession of their treasure of silver, thorns will push into 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 are come, the days of recompense are at hand, as soon the Israelites will know! “The prophet is a fool, the inspired man is raving mad!” It is because of the greatness of your iniquity and the greatness of your hatred.

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

Ephraim acts the spy with my God, a prophet finds the snares of a fowler are in all his ways. In the house of his God they lay hostile plots,

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 commit crimes as in the days of Gibeah, God will remember their iniquity. He will punish their sin.

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 finding grapes in the wilderness. I saw your ancestors like they were the first fruit on a fig tree, but as soon as they came to Baal-peor, they consecrated themselves to shamefulness, and became as abominable as the object of their love.

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

Ephraim – like a bird his glory flies away. There will be no more birth, no more motherhood, no more 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 though they bring up their children, I will bereave them until not one is left. Woe 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.

Ephraim – planted like Tyre in a meadow, But Ephraim too must lead forth their children to slaughter.

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

Give them, Lord – what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and shrivelled up breasts!

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 began in Gilgal, there I learned to hate them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them, for all their princes are rebels.

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 blighted, their root withered. If they do bear children, I will slay the darlings of their womb,

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 listened to him, and they will become wanderers among the nations.