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.⋮

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

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

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.⋮

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

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.⋮

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.⋮

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.⋮

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

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.⋮

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

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

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

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.⋮

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