Hosea, 9

1. No merrymaking, Israel, for you, no rejoicing like other peoples, for you have deserted your God to play the whore, you have loved the fee of prostitution on every threshing-floor.

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.

2. The threshing-floor and wine-press will not feed them; they will be disappointed of new wine.

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

3. No more will they live in Yahweh's country; Ephraim will have to go back to Egypt, and eat polluted food in Assyria.

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

4. No more will they pour libations of wine to Yahweh, and their sacrifices will not win his favour but will be like funeral fare for them: whoever eats them will be polluted; for their food will be for themselves alone, not being offered in Yahweh's home.

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.

5. What will you do on the solemn feast-day, on the day of Yahweh's festival?

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

6. What a scene of devastastion they have left! Egypt will round them up, Memphis will bury them, nettles will inherit their fields and thorn-bushes invade their homesteads.

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.

7. The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution are here; Israel knows it! 'The prophet is mad and the inspired man a fool!' Great has been your guilt- all the greater then the hostility!

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.

8. The watchman of Ephraim is with my God: it is the prophet- and a fowler's trap is placed on all his paths; and in the shrine of his God there is enmity towards him.

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.

9. They have become deeply corrupt as in the days of Gibeah; he will remember their guilt, he will punish their sins.

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

10. It was like finding grapes in the desert when I found Israel, like seeing early fruit on a fig tree when I saw your ancestors; but when they reached Baal-Peor they devoted themselves to Shame and became as loathsome as the thing they loved.

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 Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as they loved.

11. The glory of Ephraim will fly away like a bird: no giving birth, no pregnancy, no conceiving.

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

12. If they rear their children, I shall take them away before they grow up! Woe to them indeed when I leave them!

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!

13. Ephraim looked to me like Tyre, planted in a meadow, so Ephraim will present his children to the slaughterer.

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

14. Give them, Yahweh- what are you to give? - give them wombs that miscarry and dried-up breasts.

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

15. Their wickedness appeared in full at Gilgal, there I came to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I shall drive them from my home, I shall love them no longer; all their princes are rebels.

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.

16. Ephraim is blasted, their root has dried out, they will bear no more fruit. And even if they do bear children I shall slaughter the darlings of their womb.

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.

17. Because they have not listened to him, my God will cast them off and they will become wanderers among the nations.

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