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.

Do not choose to rejoice, Israel; do not celebrate as the crowds do. For you have been committing fornication against your God; you have loved a prize upon every threshing floor of wheat.

2 The threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.

The threshing floor and the oil press will not feed them, and the wine will deceive 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 will not dwell in the land of the Lord. Ephraim has been returned to Egypt, and he has eaten polluted things among 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 will not offer a libation of wine to the Lord, and they will not please him. Their sacrifices will be like the bread of mourners. All those who eat it will be defiled. For their bread is of their soul; it will 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 on the solemn day, on 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.

For, behold, they have been sent away by devastation. Egypt will gather them together; Memphis will bury them. Nettles will inherit their desired silver; the burr will be in their tabernacles.

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 visitation have arrived; the days of retribution are here. Know this, Israel: that the prophet was foolish, the spiritual man was mad, because of the multitude of your iniquities and the great extent of your foolishness.

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 watcher of Ephraim was with my God. The prophet has become a snare of ruin over all his ways; insanity 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 visit their sins.

They have sinned profoundly, just as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity, and he will repay their sin.

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 discovered Israel like grapes in the desert. Like the first fruits of the fig tree, I saw their fathers on the end of its branches. But they went in to Baal-peor, and they have been estranged by intermingling, and they have become abominable, just like the things that they chose to love.

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 chased away their glory like a bird: from birth, and from the womb, and from 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!

And even if they should nurture their sons, I will make them without children among men. Yes, and woe to them, when I have withdrawn from 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, as I see it, was a Tyre, founded by beauty. And Ephraim will lead his sons to execution.

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? Give them a womb without children, 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 Gilgal, for I held them there, in their hatred. Because of the malice of their inventions, I will expel them from my house. I will no longer say that I love them; all their leaders have retreated.

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 has been struck; their root has been dried out: by no means will they yield fruit. And even if they should conceive, I will execute the most beloved 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.

My God will cast them aside because they have not listened to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.