Hosea 9

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for thou hast played the harlot, departing from thy God; thou hast loved hire upon every grain-floor.2 The threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.3 They shall not dwell in Jehovah’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.4 They shall not pour out wine-offerings to Jehovah, 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 shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.5 What will ye do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah?6 For, lo, they are gone away from destruction; yet Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; their pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them; 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 man that hath the spirit is mad, for the abundance of thine iniquity, and because the enmity is great.8 Ephraim was a watchman with my God: as for the prophet, a fowler’s snare is in all his ways, and enmity in the house of his God.9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at its first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, so that not a man shall be left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!13 Ephraim, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.14 Give them, O Jehovah-what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

HOSEA 9

Israel Will Be Punished

1 Israel, don't celebrate
or make noisy shoutst
like other nations.
You have been unfaithful
to your God.
Wherever grain is threshed,
you behave like prostitutes
because you enjoy
the money you receive.t

2 But you will run short
of grain and wine,

3 and you will have to leave
the land of the [Lord].
Some of you will go to Egypt;
others will go to Assyria
and eat unclean food.

4 You won't be able to offer
sacrifices of wine
to the [Lord].
None of your sacrifices
will please him—
they will be unclean
like food offered to the dead.
Your food will only be used
to satisfy your hunger;
none of it will be brought
to the [Lord]'s temple.

5 You will no longer be able
to celebrate the festival
of the [Lord].t

6 Even if you escape alive,
you will end up in Egypt
and be buried in Memphis.t
Your silver treasures
will be lost among weeds;t
thorns will sprout in your tents.

7  t Israel, the time has come.
You will get what you deserve,
and you will know it.
“Prophets are fools,” you say.
“And God's messengers
are crazy.”
Your terrible guilt
has filled you with hatred.

8 Israel, the [Lord] sent me
to look after you.t
But you trap his prophets
and flood his temple
with your hatred.

9  t You are brutal and corrupt,
as were the men of Gibeah.t
But God remembers your sin,
and you will be punished.

Sin's Terrible Results

10  t Israel, when I, the [Lord],
found you long ago
it was like finding
grapes in a barren desert
or tender young figs.
Then you worshiped Baal Peor,
that disgusting idol,
and you became as disgusting
as the idol you loved.

11 And so, Israel, your glory
will fly away like birds—
your women will no longer
be able to give birth.

12 Even if you do have children,
I will take them all
and leave you to mourn.
I will turn away,
and you will sink down
in deep trouble.

13 Israel, when I first met you,
I thought of you as palm trees
growing in fertile ground.t
Now you lead your people out,
only to be slaughtered.

Hosea's Advice

14 Our [Lord], do just one thing
for your people—
make their women unable
to have children
or to nurse their babies.

The [Lord]'s Judgment on Israel

15 Israel, I first began
to hate you because
you did evil at Gilgal.t
Now I will chase you
out of my house.
No longer will I love you;
your leaders betrayed me.

16 Israel, you are a vine
with dried-up roots
and fruitless branches.
Even if you had more children
and loved them dearly,
I would slaughter them all.

Hosea Warns Israel

17 Israel, you disobeyed my God.
Now he will force you to roam
from nation to nation.