Hosea 9

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.

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 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

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

3 They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean [things] in Assyria.

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

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.

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 What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?

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

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 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 thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

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 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 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 They have deeply corrupted [themselves], as in the days of Gibeah: [therefore] he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

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

10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: [but] they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as they loved.

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 [As for] Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

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

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!

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 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, [is] planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

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

14 Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Give them—well, Lord, what should you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry 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] revolters.

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 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, 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 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

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