< Hosea 9 >

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved hire upon every cornfloor.
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 winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.
The threshing floor and wine-press knew them not, and the wine disappointed them.
3 They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.
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 [offerings] to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread shall be for their appetite; 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 in the day of solemn assembly, and in 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 away from destruction, [yet] Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: their pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be 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 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the man that hath the spirit is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and because the enmity is great.
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 Ephraim [was] a watchman with my God: as for the prophet, a fowler’s snare is in all his ways, [and] enmity 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 have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: 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 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which 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 shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.
Ephraim has flown away as a bird; their glories from the birth, and the travail, and the conception.
12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there be not a man left: yea, woe also to them 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, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.
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 wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry 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 hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house: I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.
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 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.
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 cast them away, 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.

< Hosea 9 >