Hosea 9

Hosea Announces Israel’s Punishment

9O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor.H8055H3478H1524H5971H2181H430H157H868H1637H17152So now your harvests will be too small to feed you. There will be no grapes for making new wine.H1637H3342H7462H8492H35843You may no longer stay here in the Lord’s land. Instead, you will return to Egypt, and in Assyria you will eat food that is ceremonially unclean.H3427H3068H776H669H7725H4714H398H2931H8044There you will make no offerings of wine to the Lord. None of your sacrifices there will please him. They will be unclean, like food touched by a person in mourning. All who present such sacrifices will be defiled. They may eat this food themselves, but they may not offer it to the Lord.H5258H3196H3068H6149H2077H3899H205H398H2930H3899H5315H935H1004H30685What then will you do on festival days? How will you observe the Lord’s festivals?H6213H4150H3117H3117H2282H30686Even if you escape destruction from Assyria, Egypt will conquer you, and Memphis

will bury you. Nettles will take over your treasures of silver; thistles will invade your ruined homes.H1980H7701H4714H6908H4644H6912H4261H3701H7057H3423H2336H1687The time of Israel’s punishment has come; the day of payment is here. Soon Israel will know this all too well. Because of your great sin and hostility, you say, “The prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools!”H3117H6486H935H3117H7966H935H3478H3045H5030H191H7307H376H7696H7230H5771H7227H48958The prophet is a watchman over Israel

for my God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God.H6822H669H430H5030H6341H3352H1870H4895H1004H4309The things my people do are as depraved as what they did in Gibeah long ago. God will not forget. He will surely punish them for their sins.H6009H7843H3117H1390H2142H5771H6485H240310The Lord says, “O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season. But then they deserted me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became vile, as vile as the god they worshiped.H4672H3478H6025H4057H7200H1H1063H8384H7225H935H1187H5144H1322H8251H15711The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird, for your children will not be born or grow in the womb or even be conceived.H669H3519H5774H5775H3205H990H203212Even if you do have children who grow up, I will take them from you. It will be a terrible day when I turn away and leave you alone.H1431H1121H7921H120H188H549313I have watched Israel become as beautiful as Tyre. But now Israel will bring out her children for slaughter.”H669H7200H6865H8362H5116H669H3318H1121H202614O Lord, what should I request for your people? I will ask for wombs that don’t give birth and breasts that give no milk.H5414H3068H5414H5414H7921H7358H6784H769915The Lord says, “All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels.H7451H1537H8130H7455H4611H1644H1004H160H3254H8269H563716The people of Israel are struck down. Their roots are dried up, and they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children.”H669H5221H8328H3001H6213H6529H3205H4191H4261H99017My God will reject the people of Israel because they will not listen or obey. They will be wanderers, homeless among the nations.H430H3988H8085H5074H1471