Hosea 9
1 Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation, like the peoples, for thou hast gone away unchastely from beside thy God, —thou hast loved a present, upon all the threshing-floors of corn!
Rejoice not too loudly, Israel, like the nations, for you have commited adultery, being untrue to your God. You have loved a prostitute’s wages on every threshing floor.
2 Threshing-floor and wine-vat, will not feed them, and, new wine, will deny them.
Threshing floor and wine vat won’t feed them, the new wine will fail them.
3 They shall not dwell in the land of Yahweh, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and, in Assyria—that which is unclean, shall they eat.
They will not stay in the Lord’s land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean.
4 They shall not pour out to Yahweh—wine, neither shall they be pleasing to him, their sacrifices, are as the food of mourning to them, all that eat thereof, shall defile themselves, because, their food for their appetite, entereth not into the house of Yahweh.
They will not pour out libations of wine to the Lord, nor please him with their sacrifices. Their bread will be like the bread of mourners: all who eat it will defile themselves. For their bread will be only for their hunger, it will not come into the Lord’s temple.
5 What will ye do, for the day of appointed meeting? and in the day of the festival of Yahweh?
What will you do on the day of the festival? Or on the day of the Lord’s feast?
6 For, though they have gone from destruction, yet, Egypt, shall gather them, Memphis, shall bury them, —as for their silver favorites! thistles, shall possess them, thorns in their tents.
Even if they flee from destruction, Egypt will gather them, Memphis will bury them. Nettles will take possession of their treasure of silver, thorns will push into their tents.
7 Come are the days of visitation, come are the days of recompense, Let Israel know! The prophet is foolish, the man of the spirit doth rave, because of the greatness of thine iniquity, therefore great is the prosecution.
The days of punishment are come, the days of recompense are at hand, as soon the Israelites will know! “The prophet is a fool, the inspired man is raving mad!” It is because of the greatness of your iniquity and the greatness of your hatred.
8 The watchman of Ephraim, [should have been] with my God: As for the prophet, the snare of the fowler, is on all his ways, a prosecution [awaiteth him], in the house of his God.
Ephraim acts the spy with my God, a prophet finds the snares of a fowler are in all his ways. In the house of his God they lay hostile plots,
9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, like the days of Gibeah: he will call to mind their iniquity, he will punish their sins.
they commit crimes as in the days of Gibeah, God will remember their iniquity. He will punish their sin.
10 Like grapes in the desert, found I Israel, like the first-ripe in the fig-tree when it is young, saw I your fathers, —they, entered Baal-peor, and devoted themselves to the Shameful Thing, Then became their abominations like their lusts.
I found Israel like finding grapes in the wilderness. I saw your ancestors like they were the first fruit on a fig tree, but as soon as they came to Baal-peor, they consecrated themselves to shamefulness, and became as abominable as the object of their love.
11 As for Ephraim! like a bird, did their glory, fly away, —no birth, and none with child, no conception.
Ephraim – like a bird his glory flies away. There will be no more birth, no more motherhood, no more conception.
12 Yea, though they rear their children, yet will I make them childless, till there be no human being, —for it is, nothing less than woe, to them when I depart from them!
Even though they bring up their children, I will bereave them until not one is left. Woe to them when I turn away from them!
13 Ephraim! just as I provided for Tyre, was planted in a meadow, —yet, Ephraim, must needs bring forth for a murderer his children.
Ephraim – planted like Tyre in a meadow, But Ephraim too must lead forth their children to slaughter.
14 Give them, O Yahweh—what wilt thou give? Give them, a miscarrying womb, and breasts dried up.
Give them, Lord – what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and shrivelled up breasts!
15 All their wickedness, is in Gilgal, yea, there, have I come to hate them, For the wickedness of their doings—out of my house, will I drive them forth, —no more will I love them, all their rulers, are unruly.
All their evil began in Gilgal, there I learned to hate them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them, for all their princes are rebels.
16 Smitten is Ephraim, their root, hath dried up, fruit, shall they not bear, —yea, though they do bring forth, yet will I slay the darlings of their womb.
Ephraim is blighted, their root withered. If they do bear children, I will slay the darlings of their womb,
17 My God will reject them, because they hearkened not unto him, —that they may become wanderers throughout the nations.
My God will reject them because they have not listened to him, and they will become wanderers among the nations.
