Hosea 9

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved hire upon every cornfloor.

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 threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.

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

3 They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

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 pour out 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 shall be for their appetite; it 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 will ye do in the day of solemn assembly, 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, 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.

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 days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the man that hath the spirit is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and because the enmity 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 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.

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

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 wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.

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 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no 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 up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there be not a man left: yea, woe also 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, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.

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

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

Give them, Lord – what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and shrivelled up 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 mine house: I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.

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 root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.

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 hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

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