Chapter 9

Don't rejoice, Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for you have played the prostitute, [departing] from your God; you have loved hire on every grain-floor.

The threshing floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.

They shall not dwell in Yahweh's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

They shall not pour out wine-offerings to Yahweh, neither shall they be pleasing to him: their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of mourners; all who eat of it shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Yahweh.

What will you do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Yahweh?

For, behold, they have gone away from destruction; [yet] Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; their pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them; thorns shall be in their tents.

The days of visitation have come, the days of recompense have come. Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the man who has the spirit is mad, for the abundance of your iniquity, and because the enmity is great.

Ephraim [was] a watchman with my God: as for the prophet, a fowler's snare is in all his ways, [and] enmity in the house of his God.

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

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.

As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.

Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, so that not a man shall be left: yes, woe also to them when I depart from them!

Ephraim, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the killer.

Give them, Yahweh what will you give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels.

Ephraim is struck, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yes, though they bring forth, yet will I kill the beloved fruit of their womb.

My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.