Hosea

9 Do not make merry exultantly like the peoples, Israel, because you have prostituted yourself to be disloyal to Jehovah; you have loved the prostitute’s gain on every threshing-floor of grain. 2 Threshing-floor and wine-vat shall not feed them, and grape-juice shall disappoint them; 3 they shall not live in Jehovah’s country, but Ephraim shall go back to Egypt and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 4** They shall not pour libations of wine to Jehovah, not lay out their sacrifices for him; their sacrifices shall be to them like trouble-bread, whose eaters all become unclean, because their bread is for their appetites, it is not to come into Jehovah’s house. 5 What will you do on the anniversary day, the day of Jehovah’s feasts? 6** because they are gone owing to rapine, Egypt is to gather them, Memphis is to bury them; their silver attractions nettles shall possess, briers be in their homes. 7* The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution have come, Israel shall know; the prophet is an ignoramus, the inspired man a lunatic, because of the excess of your guilt. 8 Ephraim’s watchman with my God suffers great spite; the prophet has fowlers’ traps on all his paths, spite in his God’s house; they have dug his pit deep. 9* As in Gibeah’s days he will remember their guilt, will punish their sins.

10*** I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, I saw your fathers like an early fig on the tree at the first of its crop; they came to Baal-Peghor and performed rites to the Shame and became objects of disgust as they loved to. 11* Ephraim’s glories are taking flight like a bird: off from birth, off from expectations of birth. 12* If they do raise their children I will bereave them of every human being; yea, woe to them when I go back from them. 13* Ephraim has stocked himself with daughters for a foe; Ephraim has to bring out his sons to a killer. 14 Give them, Jehovah—what will you give? give them a miscarrying womb and shriveled breasts. 15 All their wickedness is at the Gilgal; because there I learned to hate them for the viciousness of their practices, I will expel them from my house, will love them no longer; all their generals are incorrigibles. 16 Ephraim is smitten; their roots are dried up, no fruit will they produce. Even if they have T children I will bring death to their welcome offspring. 17 My God will reject them because they did not listen to him, and they shall be wanderers among the nations.