“1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast
gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every
cornfloor. 2 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the
new wine shall fail in her. 3 They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land;
but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean [things]
in Assyria. 4 They shall not offer wine [offerings] to the LORD, neither
shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices [shall be] unto them
as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for
their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD. 5
What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the
LORD? 6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall
gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant [places] for their
silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns [shall be] in their
tabernacles.”
“7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come;
Israel shall know [it]: the prophet [is] a fool, the spiritual man [is]
mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred. 8 The
watchman of Ephraim [was] with my God: [but] the prophet [is] a snare of
a fowler in all his ways, [and] hatred in the house of his God. 9 They
have deeply corrupted [themselves], as in the days of Gibeah:
[therefore] he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as
the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: [but] they went to
Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame; and [their]
abominations were according as they loved.”
“11 [As for] Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the
birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. 12 Though they bring
up their children, yet will I bereave them, [that there shall] not [be]
a man [left]: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! 13 Ephraim,
as I saw Tyrus, [is] planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall
bring forth his children to the murderer. 14 Give them, O LORD: what
wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 15 All
their wickedness [is] in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the
wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will
love them no more: all their princes [are] revolters. 16 Ephraim is
smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though
they bring forth, yet will I slay [even] the beloved [fruit] of their
womb. 17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto
him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.” (Hosea 9:1-17 AV)