Hosea 9

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 No merrymaking, Israel, for you, no rejoicing like other peoples, for you have deserted your God to playthe whore, you have loved the fee of prostitution on every threshing-floor.	1 Rejoice not, O Israel, exult not like the nations! For you have been unfaithful to your God, loving a harlot's hire upon every threshing floor.
2 The threshing-floor and wine-press will not feed them; they will be disappointed of new wine.	2 Threshing floor and wine press shall not nourish them, the new wine shall fail them.
3 No more wil they live in Yahweh's country; Ephraim will have to go back to Egypt, and eat polluted foodin Assyria.	3 They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and in Assyria they shall eat unclean food.
4 No more wil they pour libations of wine to Yahweh, and their sacrifices will not win his favour but will belike funeral fare for them: whoever eats them wil be pol uted; for their food wil be for themselves alone, notbeing offered in Yahweh's home.	4 They shall not pour libations of wine to the LORD, or proffer their sacrifices before him. Theirs will be like mourners' bread, that makes unclean all who eat of it; Such food as they have shall be for themselves; it cannot enter the house of the LORD.
5 What wil you do on the solemn feast-day, on the day of Yahweh's festival?	5 What will you do on the festival day, the day of the LORD'S feast?
6 What a scene of devastastion they have left! Egypt wil round them up, Memphis will bury them, nettleswil inherit their fields and thorn-bushes invade their homesteads.	6 When they go from the ruins, Egypt shall gather them in, Memphis shall bury them. Weeds shall overgrow their silver treasures, and thorns invade their tents.
7 The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution are here; Israel knows it! 'The prophet ismad and the inspired man a fool!' Great has been your guilt- al the greater then the hostility!	7 They have come, the days of punishment! they have come, the days of recompense! Let Israel know it! "The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit is mad!" Because your iniquity is great, great, too, is your hostility.
8 The watchman of Ephraim is with my God: it is the prophet- and a fowler's trap is placed on al hispaths; and in the shrine of his God there is enmity towards him.	8 A prophet is Ephraim's watchman with God, yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, hostility in the house of his God.
9 They have become deeply corrupt as in the days of Gibeah; he will remember their guilt, he wil punishtheir sins.	9 They have sunk to the depths of corruption, as in the days of Gibeah; He shall remember their iniquity and punish their sins.
10 It was like finding grapes in the desert when I found Israel, like seeing early fruit on a fig tree when Isaw your ancestors; but when they reached Baal-Peor they devoted themselves to Shame and became asloathsome as the thing they loved.	10 Like grapes in the desert, I found Israel; Like the first fruits of the fig tree in its prime, I considered your fathers. When they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the Shame, they became as abhorrent as the thing they loved.
11 The glory of Ephraim wil fly away like a bird: no giving birth, no pregnancy, no conceiving.	11 The glory of Ephraim flies away like a bird: no birth, no carrying in the womb, no conception. Were they to bear children, I would slay the darlings of their womb.
12 If they rear their children, I shal take them away before they grow up! Woe to them indeed when Ileave them!	12 Even though they bring up their children, I will make them childless, till not one is left. Woe to them when I turn away from them!
13 Ephraim looked to me like Tyre, planted in a meadow, so Ephraim will present his children to theslaughterer.	13 Ephraim, as I saw, was like Tyre, planted in a beauteous spot; But Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.
14 Give them, Yahweh- what are you to give? - give them wombs that miscarry and dried-up breasts.	14 Give them, O LORD! give them what? Give them an unfruitful womb, and dry breasts!
15 Their wickedness appeared in ful at Gilgal, there I came to hate them. Because of the wickedness oftheir deeds I shall drive them from my home, I shal love them no longer; all their princes are rebels.	15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal; yes, there they incurred my hatred. Because of their wicked deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no longer; all their princes are rebels.
16 Ephraim is blasted, their root has dried out, they wil bear no more fruit. And even if they do bearchildren I shal slaughter the darlings of their womb.	16 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit.
17 Because they have not listened to him, my God wil cast them off and they wil become wanderersamong the nations.	17 My God will disown them because they have not listened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations.