Hosea 9:1-17 - Ephraim Faces Punishment
1 O Israel, rejoice not for joy, like the peoples. For you have gone lusting away from your God; you have loved a reward on every grain floor. 2 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. 3 They shall not dwell in Jehovah's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
4 They shall not pour wine to Jehovah, nor shall they be pleasing to Him. Their sacrifices shall be like the bread of sorrows to them; all who eat of them shall be defiled. For their bread is for their soul, it shall not come into the house of Jehovah. 5 What will you do in the day of meeting, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah? 6 For lo, they have left because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess the desirable things of their silver; thorns shall be in their tents.
7 The days of her judgment have come; the days of vengeance have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and the great hatred. 8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God. 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, as in days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins.
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first-fruit in the fig tree at her first time. But they went to Baal-peor and set themselves apart to a shameful thing; and they became abominable like that which they loved. 11 Ephraim is like a bird; their glory shall fly away from birth, and from the womb, and from conception. 12 Though they bring up their sons, yet I will make them childless, without a man. Yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! 13 Ephraim, when I looked toward Tyre, was planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim shall bring out his sons to the murderer. 14 Give them, O Lord; what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them out of My house for the wickedness of their doings. I will love them no more; all their rulers are revolters. 16 Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Yea, though they bear, yet I will slay the beloved ones of their womb. 17 My God shall cast them away because they did not listen to Him. And they shall be wanderers among the nations.