Hosea 9

1 Rejoice not, O Israel for ioy as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God: thou hast loued a rewarde vpon euery corne floore.

Rejoice not too loudly, Israel, like the nations, for you have commited adultery, being untrue to your God. You have loved a prostitute’s wages on every threshing floor.

2 The floore, and the wine presse shall not feede them, and the newe wine shall faile in her.

Threshing floor and wine vat won’t feed them, the new wine will fail them.

3 They wil not dwel in the Lordes lande, but Ephraim will returne to Egypt, and they will eate vncleane things in Asshur.

They will not stay in the Lord’s land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean.

4 They shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall their sacrifices be pleasant vnto him: but they shall be vnto them as the bread of mourners: al that eate thereof, shalbe polluted: for their bread for their soules shall not come into the house of the Lord.

They will not pour out libations of wine to the Lord, nor please him with their sacrifices. Their bread will be like the bread of mourners: all who eat it will defile themselves. For their bread will be only for their hunger, it will not come into the Lord’s temple.

5 What wil ye do then in the solemne day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?

What will you do on the day of the festival? Or on the day of the Lord’s feast?

6 For loe, they are gone from destruction: but Egypt shall gather them vp, and Memphis shall burie them: the nettle shall possesse the pleasant places of their siluer, and the thorne shall be in their tabernacles.

Even if they flee from destruction, Egypt will gather them, Memphis will bury them. Nettles will take possession of their treasure of silver, thorns will push into their tents.

7 The daies of visitation are come: the daies of recompence are come: Israel shall knowe it: the Prophet is a foole: the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquitie: therefore the hatred is great.

The days of punishment are come, the days of recompense are at hand, as soon the Israelites will know! ‘The prophet is a fool, the inspired man is raving mad!’ It is because of the greatness of your iniquity and the greatness of your hatred.

8 The watchman of Ephraim shoulde bee with my God: but the Prophet is the snare of a fouler in all his waies, and hatred in the House of his God.

Ephraim acts the spy with my God, a prophet finds the snares of a fowler are in all his ways. In the house of his God they lay hostile plots,

9 They are deepely set: they are corrupt as in the daies of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquitie, he will visite their sinnes.

they commit crimes as in the days of Gibeah, God will remember their iniquity. He will punish their sin.

10 I found Israel like grapes in the wildernes: I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the figge tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-Peor, and separated themselues vnto that shame, and their abominations were according to their louers.

I found Israel like finding grapes in the wilderness. I saw your ancestors like they were the first fruit on a fig tree, but as soon as they came to Baal-peor, they consecrated themselves to shamefulness, and became as abominable as the object of their love.

11 Ephraim their glorie shall flee away like a birde: from the birth and from the wombe, and from the conception.

Ephraim – like a bird his glory flies away. There will be no more birth, no more motherhood, no more conception.

12 Though they bring vp their children, yet I will depriue them from being men: yea, woe to them, when I depart from them.

Even though they bring up their children, I will bereave them until not one is left. Woe to them when I turn away from them!

13 Ephraim, as I sawe, is as a tree in Tyrus planted in a cottage: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murtherer.

Ephraim – planted like Tyre in a meadow, But Ephraim too must lead forth their children to slaughter.

14 O Lord, giue them: what wilt thou giue them? giue them a baren wombe and drie breasts.

Give them, Lord – what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and shrivelled up breasts!

15 All their wickednesse is in Gilgal: for there doe I hate them: for the wickednesse of their inuentions, I will cast them out of mine House: I will loue them no more: all their princes are rebels.

All their evil began in Gilgal, there I learned to hate them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them, for all their princes are rebels.

16 Ephraim is smitten, their roote is dried vp: they can bring no fruite: yea, though they bring foorth, yet will I slaie euen the dearest of their bodie.

Ephraim is blighted, their root withered. If they do bear children, I will slay the darlings of their womb,

17 My God will cast them away, because they did not obey him: and they shall wander among the nations.

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