Hosea 9

1Rejoice 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.

1Do not celebrate with joy, Israel, like other nations do; for you have been unfaithful and left your God. You have loved the wages of a prostitute on every threshing floor.

2The threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.

2The threshing floor and the winepress will not provide for the people, and the new wine will fail them.

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

3They will not stay in the Lord’s land; instead, Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat food that is unclean in Assyria.

4They 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.

4They will not pour out wine offerings to the Lord, and their sacrifices will not please him. Their food will be like the bread of mourners; everyone who eats it will become unclean. Their bread will only be to satisfy their hunger; it will not be brought into the house of the Lord.

5What will ye do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah?

5What will you do on the day of your appointed festivals, on the feast days of the Lord?

6For, 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.

6Even if they escape destruction, Egypt will gather them up and Memphis will bury them. Weeds will take over their silver treasures, and thorns will grow in their tents.

7The 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.

7The days of punishment have come; the days of payback are here. Israel will know it. Because your sin is so great and your hostility is so strong, you say the prophet is a fool and the inspired man is insane.

8Ephraim 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.

8The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim for my God, yet traps are set for him on all his paths, and people are hostile toward him even in the house of his God.

9They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

9They have sunk deep into corruption, just as people did in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.

10I 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.

10I found Israel like finding grapes in the desert; I saw your ancestors as the first-ripe fruit on a fig tree in its first season. But when they came to Baal-peor, they dedicated themselves to a shameful idol and became as disgusting as the thing they loved.

11As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.

11Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no more births, no more pregnancies, and no more conceiving children.

12Though 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!

12Even if they raise children, I will take them away until not one person is left. Woe to them when I turn away from them!

13Ephraim, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.

13I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a beautiful place; but now Ephraim must lead his children out to the slaughter.

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

14Give them, O Lord—what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that are dry.

15All 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.

15All their wickedness began at Gilgal; I hated them there. Because of their evil deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebels.

16Ephraim 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.

16Ephraim is struck down; their root is dried up, and they will produce no fruit. Even if they give birth, I will kill the precious children born to them.

17My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

17My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they will become wanderers among the nations.