Осия 9

1Rejoice not too loudly, Israel, like the nations, for you have commited adultery, being untrue to your God. You have loved a prostitute’s wages on every threshing floor. 2Threshing floor and wine vat won’t feed them, the new wine will fail them. 3They will not stay in the ’s land, Lordbut Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. 4They will not pour out libations of wine to the , Lordnor please him with their sacrifices. Their bread will be like the bread of mourners: all who eat it will defile themselves. For their bread will be only for their hunger, it will not come into the ’s Lordtemple. 5What will you do on the day of the festival? Or on the day of the ’s Lordfeast? 6Even if they flee from destruction, Egypt will gather them, Memphis will bury them. Nettles will take possession of their treasure of silver, thorns will push into their tents. 7The days of punishment are come, the days of recompense are at hand, as soon the Israelites will know! The prophet is a fool, the inspired man is raving mad!” It is because of the greatness of your iniquity and the greatness of your hatred. 8Ephraim acts the spy with my God, a prophet finds the snares of a fowler are in all his ways. In the house of his God they lay hostile plots, 9they commit crimes as in the days of Gibeah, will remember their iniquity. He will punish their sin. 10I found Israel like finding grapes in the wilderness. I saw your ancestors like they were the first fruit on a fig tree, but as soon as they came to Baal-peor, they consecrated themselves to shamefulness, and became as abominable as the object of their love. 11Ephraim – like a bird his glory flies away. will be no more birth, more motherhood, more conception. 12Even though they bring up their children, I will bereave them until not one is left. to them when I turn away from them! 13Ephraim – planted like Tyre in a meadow, 9:13 Heb. uncertain. LXX: as I have seen, his sons are destined to be a preyBut Ephraim too must lead forth their children to slaughter. 14Give them, – Lordwhat will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and shrivelled up breasts! 15All their evil began in Gilgal, there I learned to hate them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them, for all their princes are rebels. 16Ephraim is blighted, their root withered. If they do bear children, I will slay the darlings of their womb,