Hosea 9

The Punishment for Israel’s Persistent Unfaithfulness
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 floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
3	They shall not dwell in the LORD‘s land; but E’phra-im shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
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 ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
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 visitation Lk. 21.22 are come, the days of recompense 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 E’phra-im 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 deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gib’e-ah: Judg. 19.1-30 therefore 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 first ripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Ba’al–pe’or, Num. 25.1-5 and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
11	As for E’phra-im, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
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	E’phra-im, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but E’phra-im shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
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: 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	E’phra-im 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	My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Published by The American Bible Society

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