< Hosea 9 >

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for you have gone a whoring from your God, you have loved a reward upon floors of corn.
Rejoice not, O Israel, neither make merry, as [other] nations: for thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God; thou hast loved gifts upon every threshing-floor.
2 The floor and the winepress 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 dwelt not in the Lord's land: Ephraim dwelt 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 unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof 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 all of you do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
What will ye 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 recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of your iniquity, and the great hatred.
The days of vengeance are come, the days of thy recompense are come; and Israel shall be afflicted as the prophet that is mad, as a man deranged: by reason of the multitude of thine iniquities thy 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-fruits in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto 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: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
For even if they should rear their children, yet shall they be utterly bereaved: wherefore also there is woe to them, [though] my flesh is of them.
13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, 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; yea, Ephraim [was ready] to bring out his children to slaughter.
14 Give them, O LORD: what will you give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou 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 mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are apostates.
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: yea, 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: wherefore 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 unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
God shall reject them, because they have not hearkened to him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

< Hosea 9 >