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, Exult not, like the nations! For thou committest fornication, forsaking thy God! Thou lovest hire on every corn-floor.

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

The floor and the vat shall not feed them, And the new wine shall deceive 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 shall not dwell in the land of Jehovah; To Egypt shall Ephraim go back, And 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 pour out no offerings of wine to Jehovah, Nor shall their sacrifices please him; They shall be to them as the bread of mourners; All that eat thereof shall be polluted. Their bread shall be for their own hunger; It shall not come into the house of Jehovah.

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 festal day, In the day of the feast of Jehovah?

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, behold, they go forth from a wasted land; Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them; The precious places of their silver, Nettles shall possess them; Thorns shall spring up in their habitations.

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 retribution are come— Israel shall know that the prophet was foolish, That the man of the spirit was mad— For the greatness of` thy iniquity, and thy 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.

If Ephraim seek an answer from my God, The prophet is as the snare of the fowler in all his ways, A net 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; He will remember their iniquity; He will requite 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; As the early fruit on the fig-tree, at its first time of bearing, I saw your fathers. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to shame, And had abominable idols according to their love.

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

The glory of Ephraim shall fly away as a bird; They shall not bring forth, nor bear in the womb, nor conceive;

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!

Yea, if they bring up children, I will utterly bereave them; Yea, woe 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.”

I have seen Ephraim planted, like Tyre, in a rich pasture, Yet shall Ephraim bring out 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 Jehovah! What wilt thou give them? 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; Yea, there have I hated them for the wickedness of their doings; I will drive them from my 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 should beget children, I will destroy the beloved fruit of the womb.

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

My God shall cast them away, Because they have not hearkened to him, And they shall be wanderers among the nations.