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, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.

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

The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

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 shall not dwell in the Lord’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

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 shall not offer 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 for their soul shall not come 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 solemn day, 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.

For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

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 visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

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 my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his 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 deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit 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 like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from 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!

Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from 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, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

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? 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 Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

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 smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.

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

My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.