Hosea 9

1 Do not rejoice, Israel, to jubilation like the nations; for you were unfaithful to your God. You love the wages of a prostitute at every grain threshing floor.

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.

2 The threshing floor and the winepress won't feed them, and the new wine will fail her.

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

3 They won't dwell in YHWH's land; but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

You will not stay in the Lord's land, instead Ephraim will return to Egypt, and will eat unclean food in Assyria.

4 They won't pour out wine offerings to YHWH, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of YHWH.

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.

5 What will you do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of YHWH?

What are you going to do on the days of your appointed religious feasts, on the days of the festivals of the Lord?

6 For, look, they have gone away from destruction. Egypt will gather them up. Memphis will bury them. Nettles will possess their pleasant things of silver. Thorns will be in their tents.

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.

7 The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Let Israel know. The prophet is a fool, and the man of the spirit is mad, because of the abundance of your sins, and because your hostility is great.

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.

8 A prophet watches over Ephraim with my God. A fowler's snare is on all of his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.

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

9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.

for they have corrupted themselves so deeply, as in the time of Gibeah. He will remember their sin; he will punish their wickedness.

10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.

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.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, none with child, and no conception.

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

12 Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them, so that not a man shall be left. Indeed, woe also to them when I depart from them.

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!

13 I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.

Ephraim! Just as I saw Tyre planted in a meadow, so too Ephraim will lead out his children to the murderer.

14 Give them? YHWH what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

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

15 "All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more. All their rulers are rebels.

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.

16 Ephraim is struck. Their root has dried up. They will bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, yet I will kill the beloved ones of their womb."

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.

17 My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.

My God will reject you because you have not listened to him, and you will become homeless wanderers among the nations.