Hosea 9

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for gladness, as other people; for thou art gone astray, unfaithful to thy God: thou hast loved the wages of sin upon every corn-filled threshing-floor.

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.

2 The threshing-floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall deceive them.

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

3 They shall not dwell in the land of the Lord; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and in Assyria will they eat unclean things.

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

4 They shall not pour out wine to the Lord, and [their offerings] shall not be pleasing unto him; their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for this their food can only be for themselves, it shall not come into the house of the Lord.

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.

5 What will ye do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the Lord?

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

6 For, lo, they are gone forth because of the desolation: Egypt will gather them up, Moph will bury them: the pleasant chambers for their silver, —these shall nettles take possession of; thorns shall [grow] in their tents.

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.

7 Come are the days of the visitation, come are the days of thy recompense; this shall Israel experience: a fool was the prophet, mad the inspired man, because of the greatness of thy iniquity, and the great hatefulness.

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.

8 The watchman of Ephraim with my God, the prophet, was a snare of the fowler on all his ways, a hateful thing in the house of his god.

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.

9 They are deeply corrupt, as in the days of Gib'ah: he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

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

10 Like grapes in the wilderness had I found Israel; as the first ripe fruit on the fig-tree in the first of the season had I seen your fathers; but they too went to Ba'al-pe'or: and devoted themselves unto that shameful idol, and became abominations as those they loved.

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.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there is no more birth, and no pregnancy, and no conception.

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

12 But though they were to bring up their children, yet would I bereave them, that there should be no man: yea, woe also to themselves, when I depart from them!

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.

13 Ephraim, as I have seen him like Tyre, planted in a pleasant meadow, —yet this Ephraim shall lead forth to the murderer his children.

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

14 Give them, O Lord, what thou wilt give! give them a miscarrying womb and dried-up breasts.

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

15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I [learnt to] hate them; for the wickedness of their doings will I drive them out of my house: I will love them no farther; all their princes are rebels.

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.

16 Smitten is Ephraim, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; yea, though they should bring forth, yet would I slay the beloved fruit of their body.

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.

17 My God will reject them, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

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