Hosea 9

Israel’s Punishment

¹Do not rejoice, O Israel,

with exultation like the nations,

for you have played the harlot against your God;

you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

²The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them,

and the new wine will fail them.

³They will not remain

in the land of the LORD;

Ephraim will return to Egypt

and eat unclean food in Assyria.

⁴They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD,

and their sacrifices will not please Him,

but will be to them like the bread of mourners;

all who eat will be defiled.

For their bread will be for themselves;

it will not enter the house of the LORD.

⁵What will you do on the appointed day,

on the day of the LORD’s feast?

⁶For even if they flee destruction,

Egypt will gather them

and Memphis will bury them.

Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles,

and thorns will overrun their tents.

⁷The days of punishment have come;

the days of retribution have arrived—

let Israel know it.

The prophet is called a fool,

and the inspired man insane,

because of the greatness

of your iniquity and hostility.

⁸The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman,

along with my God,

yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths.

Hostility is in the house of his God!

⁹They have deeply corrupted themselves

as in the days of Gibeah;

He will remember their guilt;

He will punish their sins.

¹⁰I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness.

I saw your fathers as the firstfruits

of the fig tree in its first season.

But they went to Baal-peor,

and consecrated themselves to Shame;

so they became as detestable

as the thing they loved.

¹¹Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird,

with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

¹²Even if they raise their children,

I will bereave them of each one.

Yes, woe be to them

when I turn away from them!

¹³I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre,

planted in a meadow.

But Ephraim will bring out

his children for slaughter.

¹⁴Give them, O LORD—

what will You give?

Give them wombs that miscarry

and breasts that dry up!

¹⁵All their evil appears at Gilgal,

for there I hated them.

I will drive them from My house

for the wickedness of their deeds.

I will no longer love them;

all their leaders are rebellious.

¹⁶Ephraim is struck down;

their root is withered;

they cannot bear fruit.

Even if they bear children,

I will slay the darlings of their wombs.

¹⁷My God will reject them

because they have not obeyed Him;

and they shall be wanderers

among the nations.