9
1 Don’t
rejoice, Israel,
to jubilation like
the nations;
for you were
unfaithful to
your God.
You love the wages
of a prostitute
at every grain
threshing floor.
2 The
threshing floor
and the wine
press won’t feed
them,
and the new
wine will fail her.
3 They won’t
dwell in the
LORD’s land;
but Ephraim will
return to Egypt,
and they will eat
unclean food in Assyria.
4 They won’t
pour out wine
offerings to the
LORD,
neither will they
be pleasing to him.
Their sacrifices
will be to
them like the
bread of mourners;
all who eat
of it will
be polluted;
for their bread
will be for
their appetite.
It will not come
into the LORD’s
house.
5 What
will you do
in the day
of solemn assembly,
and in the
day of the
feast of the
LORD?
6 For,
behold, when
they flee destruction,
Egypt will gather
them up.
Memphis will bury
them.
Nettles will
possess their
pleasant things of
silver.
Thorns will be
in their tents.
7 The
days of visitation
have come.
The days of
reckoning have
come.
Israel will
consider the
prophet to be
a fool,
and the man
who is inspired
to be insane,
because of the
abundance of your
sins,
and because your
hostility is great.
8 A
prophet watches over Ephraim
with my God.
A fowler’s snare
is on all
of his paths,
and hostility 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 punish
them for their
sins.
10 I
found Israel like
grapes in the
wilderness.
I saw your fathers
as the first ripe
in the fig
tree at its
first season;
but they came
to Baal Peor,
and consecrated themselves
to the shameful
thing,
and became
abominable like
that which
they loved.
11 As
for Ephraim, their glory
will fly away
like a bird.
There will be no
birth, no one with child,
and no conception.
12 Though
they bring up
their children,
yet I will
bereave them, so
that not a
man shall be
left.
Indeed, woe also
to them when
I depart from
them!
13 I
have seen Ephraim,
like Tyre, planted
in a pleasant
place;
but Ephraim will
bring out his
children to the
murderer.
14 Give
them—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.
Because of the
wickedness of
their deeds, I
will drive them
out of my
house!
I will love them
no more.
All their princes
are rebels.
16 Ephraim is
struck.
Their root has
dried up.
They will bear
no fruit.
Even though they
give birth, yet
I will kill
the beloved ones
of their womb.”
17 My
God will cast
them away, because
they didn’t listen
to him;
and they will
be wanderers among
the nations.