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Revised
Standard Version of the Holy Bible
Hosea
Chapter 9 (Revised Standard Version)
Hosea 9
1 Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have
played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved a harlot's hire upon
all threshing floors.
2 Threshing floor and winevat shall not feed them, and the new wine
shall fail them.
3 They shall not remain in the land of the LORD; but E'phraim shall
return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.
4 They shall not pour libations of wine to the LORD; and they shall
not please him with their sacrifices. Their bread shall be like mourners'
bread; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for
their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the LORD.
5 What will you do on the day of appointed festival, and on the day
of the feast of the LORD?
6 For behold, they are going to Assyria; Egypt shall gather them,
Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of
silver; thorns shall be in their tents.
7 The days of punishment have come, the days of recompense have come;
Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit is mad,
because of your great iniquity and great hatred.
8 The prophet is the watchman of E'phraim, the people of my God, yet
a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gib'e-ah he
will remember their iniquity, he will punish their sins.
10 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first
fruit on the fig tree, in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they
came to Ba'al-pe'or, and consecrated themselves to Ba'al, and became
detestable like the thing they loved.
11 E'phraim's glory shall fly away like a bird -- no birth, no
pregnancy, no conception!
12 Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is
left. Woe to them when I depart from them!
13 E'phraim's sons, as I have seen, are destined for a prey; E'phraim
must lead forth his sons to slaughter.
14 Give them, O LORD -- what wilt thou give? Give them a miscarrying
womb and dry breasts.
15 Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate 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 E'phraim is stricken, their root is dried up, they shall bear no
fruit. Even though they bring forth, I will slay their beloved children.
17 My God will cast them off, because they have not hearkened to him;
they shall be wanderers among the nations.
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