Hosea 9

1 Do not rejoice, Israel, with joy like the other peoples. For you have been unfaithful, forsaking your God. You love to pay the wages a prostitute requires on all the threshing floors.

Rejoice not, O Israel, neither make merry, as [other] nations: for thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God; thou hast loved gifts upon every threshing-floor.

2 But the threshing floor and the winepress will not feed them; the new wine will fail them.

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

3 They will not continue to live in Yahweh's land; instead, Ephraim will return to Egypt, and one day they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

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

4 They will pour out no wine offerings to Yahweh, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like mourners' food: all who eat it will be defiled. For their food will be for themselves only; it will not come into the house of Yahweh.

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 you do on the day of an appointed festival, on the day of a festival for Yahweh?

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

6 For, look, if they escape from destruction, Egypt will gather them, and Memphis will bury them. As for their treasures of silver— sharp briers will possess them, and thorns will fill 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 for punishment are coming; the days for retribution are coming. Let all Israel know these things. The prophet is a fool, and the inspired man is insane, because of your great iniquity and great hostility.

The days of vengeance are come, the days of thy recompense are come; and Israel shall be afflicted as the prophet that is mad, as a man deranged: by reason of the multitude of thine iniquities thy madness has abounded.

8 The prophet is the watchman for my God over Ephraim. But a bird snare is on all of his paths, and hostility toward him is 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. God will call to mind their iniquity, and he will punish 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 Yahweh says, “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness. Like the very first fruit of the season on the fig tree, I found your fathers. But they went to Baal Peor, and they devoted themselves to that shameful idol. They became as detestable as the idol 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 will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

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

12 Though they have brought up children, I will take them away so that none of them is left. Woe to them when I turn away from them!

For even if they should rear their children, yet shall they be utterly bereaved: wherefore also there is woe to them, [though] my flesh is of them.

13 I have seen Ephraim, just like Tyre, planted in a meadow, but Ephraim will bring out his children to someone who will slaughter them.”

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

14 Give them, Yahweh—what will you give them? Give them a miscarrying womb and breasts that give no milk.

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

15 “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, that is where I began to hate them. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their officials 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 Ephraim is diseased, and their root is dried up; they bear no fruit. Even if they have children, I will put their beloved children to death.”

Ephraim is sick, he is dried up at his roots, he shall in no wise any more bear fruit: wherefore even if they should beget [children], I will kill the desired [fruit] of their womb.

17 My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him. They will become wanderers among the nations.

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