Hosea Announces Israel's Punishment

1'Rejoice not, O Israel, be not joyful like the peoples, For thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God, Thou hast loved a gift near all floors of corn.

2Floor and wine-press do not delight them, And new wine doth fail in her,

3They do not abide in the land of Jehovah, And turned back hath Ephraim to Egypt, And in Asshur an unclean thing they eat.

4They pour not out wine to Jehovah, Nor are they sweet to Him, Their sacrifices are as bread of mourners to them, All eating it are unclean: For their bread is for themselves, It doth not come into the house of Jehovah.

5What do ye at the day appointed? And at the day of Jehovah's festival?

6For, lo, they have gone because of destruction, Egypt gathereth them, Moph burieth them, The desirable things of their silver, Nettles possess them -- a thorn is in their tents.

7Come in have the days of inspection, Come in have the days of recompence, Israel doth know! a fool is the prophet, Mad is the man of the Spirit, Because of the abundance of thine iniquity, And great is the hatred.

8Ephraim is looking away from My God, The prophet! a snare of a fowler is over all his ways, Hatred is in the house of his God.

9They have gone deep -- have done corruptly, As in the days of Gibeah, He doth remember their iniquity, He doth inspect their sins.

10As grapes in a wilderness I found Israel, As the first-fruit in a fig-tree, at its beginning, I have seen your fathers, They -- they have gone in to Baal-Peor, And are separated to a shameful thing, And are become abominable like their love.

11Ephraim is as a fowl, Fly away doth their honour, without birth, And without womb, and without conception.

12For though they nourish their sons, I have made them childless -- without man, Surely also, woe to them, when I turn aside from them.

13Ephraim! when I have looked to the rock, Is planted in comeliness, And Ephraim is to bring out unto a slayer his sons.

14Give to them, Jehovah -- what dost Thou give? Give to them miscarrying womb, and dry breasts.

15All their evil is in Gilgal, Surely there I have hated them, Because of the evil of their doings, Out of My house I do drive them, I add not to love them, all their heads are apostates.

16Ephraim hath been smitten, Their root hath dried up, fruit they yield not, Yea, though they bring forth, I have put to death the desired of their womb.

17Reject them doth my God, Because they have not hearkened to Him, And they are wanderers among nations!