הוֹשֵׁעַ 9

1 אַל־תִּשְׂמַ֨ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל ׀ אֶל־גִּיל֙ כָּֽעַמִּ֔ים כִּ֥י זָנִ֖יתָ מֵעַ֣ל אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ אָהַ֣בְתָּ אֶתְנָ֔ן עַ֖ל כָּל־גָּרְנֹ֥ות דָּגָֽן׃

Israel, don't rejoice! Don't celebrate like other nations! For you have practiced prostitution; you have loved a prostitute's wages on every threshing floor of grain.

2 גֹּ֥רֶן וָיֶ֖קֶב לֹ֣א יִרְעֵ֑ם וְתִירֹ֖ושׁ יְכַ֥חֶשׁ בָּֽהּ׃

Your threshing floors and winepresses will not feed you; the land will fail to produce your new wine.

3 לֹ֥א יֵשְׁב֖וּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ יְהוָ֑ה וְשָׁ֤ב אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּבְאַשּׁ֖וּר טָמֵ֥א יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

You will not stay in the Lord's land, instead Ephraim will return to Egypt, and will eat unclean food in Assyria.

4 לֹא־יִסְּכ֨וּ לַיהוָ֥ה ׀ יַיִן֮ וְלֹ֣א יֶֽעֶרְבוּ־לֹו֒ זִבְחֵיהֶ֗ם כְּלֶ֤חֶם אֹונִים֙ לָהֶ֔ם כָּל־אֹכְלָ֖יו יִטַמָּ֑אוּ כִּֽי־לַחְמָ֣ם לְנַפְשָׁ֔ם לֹ֥א יָבֹ֖וא בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃

You won't pour out any drink offerings to the Lord. None of your sacrifices will please him. Your sacrifices will be like food eaten by a person in mourning—all who eat will be unclean. You will eat this food yourselves, but it will not enter the house of the Lord.

5 מַֽה־תַּעֲשׂ֖וּ לְיֹ֣ום מֹועֵ֑ד וּלְיֹ֖ום חַג־יְהוָֽה׃

What are you going to do on the days of your appointed religious feasts, on the days of the festivals of the Lord?

6 כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֤ה הָֽלְכוּ֙ מִשֹּׁ֔ד מִצְרַ֥יִם תְּקַבְּצֵ֖ם מֹ֣ף תְּקַבְּרֵ֑ם מַחְמַ֣ד לְכַסְפָּ֗ם קִמֹּושׂ֙ יִֽירָשֵׁ֔ם חֹ֖וחַ בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶֽם׃

Look, they have left because of the destruction: Egypt with gather them, and Memphis will bury them. They gain a “valued possession” for their silver. Weeds will possess them, and thorns will grow over their tents.

7 בָּ֣אוּ ׀ יְמֵ֣י הַפְּקֻדָּ֗ה בָּ֚אוּ יְמֵ֣י הַשִׁלֻּ֔ם יֵדְע֖וּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֱוִ֣יל הַנָּבִ֗יא מְשֻׁגָּע֙ אִ֣ישׁ הָר֔וּחַ עַ֚ל רֹ֣ב עֲוֹנְךָ֔ וְרַבָּ֖ה מַשְׂטֵמָֽה׃

The time of punishment has come; the day of retribution has arrived. Let Israel know! You say the prophet is a fool, the man of the Spirit is mad, because your sin and hostility is so great.

8 צֹפֶ֥ה אֶפְרַ֖יִם עִם־אֱלֹהָ֑י נָבִ֞יא פַּ֤ח יָקֹושׁ֙ עַל־כָּל־דְּרָכָ֔יו מַשְׂטֵמָ֖ה בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽיו׃

The watchman over Ephraim is with my God, and a prophet is a birdcatcher's snare on all his ways. Hatred is in the house of his God

9 הֶעְמִֽיקוּ־שִׁחֵ֖תוּ כִּימֵ֣י הַגִּבְעָ֑ה יִזְכֹּ֣ור עֲוֹנָ֔ם יִפְקֹ֖וד חַטֹּאותָֽם׃ ס

for they have corrupted themselves so deeply, as in the time of Gibeah. He will remember their sin; he will punish their wickedness.

10 כַּעֲנָבִ֣ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר מָצָ֙אתִי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כְּבִכּוּרָ֤ה בִתְאֵנָה֙ בְּרֵ֣אשִׁיתָ֔הּ רָאִ֖יתִי אֲבֹֽותֵיכֶ֑ם הֵ֜מָּה בָּ֣אוּ בַֽעַל־פְּעֹ֗ור וַיִּנָּֽזְרוּ֙ לַבֹּ֔שֶׁת וַיִּהְי֥וּ שִׁקּוּצִ֖ים כְּאָהֳבָֽם׃

When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your forefathers it was like seeing early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they gave themselves over to that shameful idol, becoming as filthy as the filthy thing they loved.

11 אֶפְרַ֕יִם כָּעֹ֖וף יִתְעֹופֵ֣ף כְּבֹודָ֑ם מִלֵּדָ֥ה וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן וּמֵהֵרָיֹֽון׃

Ephraim! Like a bird that flies away so shall your glory—no births, no pregnancies, no conceptions.

12 כִּ֤י אִם־יְגַדְּלוּ֙ אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וְשִׁכַּלְתִּ֖ים מֵֽאָדָ֑ם כִּֽי־גַם־אֹ֥וי לָהֶ֖ם בְּשׂוּרִ֥י מֵהֶֽם׃

Even if they bring up children, I will make sure they do not survive. What a disaster for you when I turn away from you!

13 אֶפְרַ֛יִם כַּאֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥יתִי לְצֹ֖ור שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בְנָוֶ֑ה וְאֶפְרַ֕יִם לְהֹוצִ֥יא אֶל־הֹרֵ֖ג בָּנָֽיו׃

Ephraim! Just as I saw Tyre planted in a meadow, so too Ephraim will lead out his children to the murderer.

14 תֵּן־לָהֶ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה מַה־תִּתֵּ֑ן תֵּן־לָהֶם֙ רֶ֣חֶם מַשְׁכִּ֔יל וְשָׁדַ֖יִם צֹמְקִֽים׃

Give them—well, Lord, what should you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and dry breasts.

15 כָּל־רָעָתָ֤ם בַּגִּלְגָּל֙ כִּֽי־שָׁ֣ם שְׂנֵאתִ֔ים עַ֚ל רֹ֣עַ מַֽעַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם מִבֵּיתִ֖י אֲגָרְשֵׁ֑ם לֹ֤א אֹוסֵף֙ אַהֲבָתָ֔ם כָּל־שָׂרֵיהֶ֖ם סֹרְרִֽים׃

All of their evil began at Gilgal, and that's where I began to hate them. I will drive them out of my house because of their wickedness. I will love them no longer; all their leaders are rebels.

16 הֻכָּ֣ה אֶפְרַ֔יִם שָׁרְשָׁ֥ם יָבֵ֖שׁ פְּרִ֣י בְלִי־ (בַֽל)־יַעֲשׂ֑וּן גַּ֚ם כִּ֣י יֵֽלֵד֔וּן וְהֵמַתִּ֖י מַחֲמַדֵּ֥י בִטְנָֽם׃ ס

Ephraim, you are blighted, dried up from the roots. You shall bear no fruit. Even if you have children, I will slaughter your beloved offspring.

17 יִמְאָסֵ֣ם אֱלֹהַ֔י כִּ֛י לֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ לֹ֑ו וְיִהְי֥וּ נֹדְדִ֖ים בַּגֹּויִֽם׃ ס

My God will reject you because you have not listened to him, and you will become homeless wanderers among the nations.