HOSEA
Hosea 9 ©
God checks Israel for their idolatrous rejoicing in the harvest time, v. 1. Which He shall cause to take a speedy end, by the famine to come, the carrying of them away captive, the want of public worship, the mourning and desolation of their land, 2. False and true prophets are opposed one to the other, 7. Further complaint of Israel’s deep corruption after the example of their unthankful idolatrous forefathers, 9. God threatens them with barrenness and slaughter of their children, 11. A further recital of their idolatry, with an announcing of God’s wrath and judgment, 15.
REJOICE not, O Israel, for 1joy, as other 2people: for thou hast gone a 3whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
The floor and the winepress shall 4not feed them, and the new wine shall 5fail 6in her.
They shall not dwell in the LORD’S 7land; but Ephraim shall return to 8Egypt, 9and they shall eat 10unclean things in 11Assyria.
They 12shall not offer 13wine offerings to the 14LORD, neither shall they be 15pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the 16bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their 17soul shall 18not come into the house of the LORD.
What will ye do in the 19solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
For, lo, they are 20gone because of 21destruction: 22Egypt shall gather them up, 23Memphis shall 24bury them: 25the pleasant places for their silver, 26nettles shall possess them: 27thorns shall be in their 28tabernacles.
The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall 29know it: the 30prophet is a fool, the 31spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great 32hatred.
33The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the 34prophet is a 35snare of a fowlera in all 36his ways, and 37hatred in the house 38of his God.
They have 39deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of 40Gibeah: therefore he will 41remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
I found Israel like 42grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to 43Baal-peor,b and 44separated themselves unto that 45shame; and their 46abominations were according as they loved.
As for Ephraim, their 47glory shall 48fly away like a bird, 49from the birth, and from the 50womb, and from the conception.
Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, 51that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
Ephraim, as I saw 52Tyrus, is 53planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim 54shall bring forth his children to the 55murderer.
56Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a 57miscarryingc womb and dry breasts.
58All their wickedness is in Gilgal:d59for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine 60house, I will 61love them no more: all their princeseare 62revolters.
Ephraim is 63smitten, their root is dried up, they shall 64bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the 65beloved fruit of their womb.
66My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be 67wanderers among the nations.