< Hosea 9 >
1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast apostatized from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-floor.
Rejoice not, O Israel, neither make merry, as [other] nations: for you have gone a-whoring from your God; you have loved gifts upon every threshing floor.
2 The floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
The threshing floor and wine-press knew them not, and the wine disappointed them.
3 They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean [things] in Assyria.
They lived not in the Lord's land: Ephraim lived in Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things among the Assyrians.
4 They shall not offer wine -[offerings] to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing to him: their sacrifices [shall be] to them as the bread of mourners; all that eat of it shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
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 ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
What will you do in the day of the general assembly, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?
6 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.
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 of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know [it]: the prophet [is] a fool, the spiritual man [is] mad, for the multitude of thy iniquity, and the great hatred.
The days of vengeance are come, the days of your recompense are come; and Israel shall be afflicted as the prophet that is mad, as a man deranged: by reason of the multitude of your iniquities your madness has abounded.
8 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.
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: [therefore] he will remember their iniquity, he will visit 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 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time: [but] they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves to [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as 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 shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
Ephraim has flown away as a bird; their glories from the birth, and the travail, and the conception.
12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, [that there shall] not [be] a man [left]: yes, woe also to them when I depart from them!
For even if they should rear their children, yet shall they be utterly bereaved: therefore also there is woe to them, [though] my flesh is of them.
13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyre, [is] planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
Ephraim, [even] as I saw, gave their children for a prey; yes, Ephraim [was ready] to bring out his children to slaughter.
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? a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts.
15 All their wickedness [is] in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house, I will love them no more: all their princes [are] revolters.
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 smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yes, though they bring forth, yet will I slay [even] the beloved [fruit] of their womb.
Ephraim is sick, he is dried up at his roots, he shall in no wise any more bear fruit: therefore even if they should beget [children], I will kill the desired [fruit] of their womb.
17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken to him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
God shall reject them, because they have not listened to him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.