< Hosea 9 >
1 Rejoice not, O Israel for ioy as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God: thou hast loued a rewarde vpon euery corne floore.
2 The floore, and the wine presse shall not feede them, and the newe wine shall faile in her.
3 They wil not dwel in the Lordes lande, but Ephraim will returne to Egypt, and they will eate vncleane things in Asshur.
4 They shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall their sacrifices be pleasant vnto him: but they shall be vnto them as the bread of mourners: al that eate thereof, shalbe polluted: for their bread for their soules shall not come into the house of the Lord.
5 What wil ye do then in the solemne day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?
6 For loe, they are gone from destruction: but Egypt shall gather them vp, and Memphis shall burie them: the nettle shall possesse the pleasant places of their siluer, and the thorne shall be in their tabernacles.
7 The daies of visitation are come: the daies of recompence are come: Israel shall knowe it: the Prophet is a foole: the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquitie: therefore the hatred is great.
8 The watchman of Ephraim shoulde bee with my God: but the Prophet is the snare of a fouler in all his waies, and hatred in the House of his God.
9 They are deepely set: they are corrupt as in the daies of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquitie, he will visite their sinnes.
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wildernes: I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the figge tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-Peor, and separated themselues vnto that shame, and their abominations were according to their louers.
11 Ephraim their glorie shall flee away like a birde: from the birth and from the wombe, and from the conception.
12 Though they bring vp their children, yet I will depriue them from being men: yea, woe to them, when I depart from them.
13 Ephraim, as I sawe, is as a tree in Tyrus planted in a cottage: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murtherer.
14 O Lord, giue them: what wilt thou giue them? giue them a baren wombe and drie breasts.
15 All their wickednesse is in Gilgal: for there doe I hate them: for the wickednesse of their inuentions, I will cast them out of mine House: I will loue them no more: all their princes are rebels.
16 Ephraim is smitten, their roote is dried vp: they can bring no fruite: yea, though they bring foorth, yet will I slaie euen the dearest of their bodie.
17 My God will cast them away, because they did not obey him: and they shall wander among the nations.