Hosea 9

Israel Will Be Punished

1 Israel, don’t celebrate

or make noisy shouts*9.1 or … shouts: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

like other nations.

You have been unfaithful

to your God.

Wherever grain is threshed,

you behave like prostitutes

because you enjoy

the money you receive.*9.1 Wherever … receive: Grain was threshed on hills or other places where the wind could blow away the husks. People also met at these places to worship Baal, the god they thought had given them the grain harvest.

2 But you will run short

of grain and wine,

3 and you will have to leave

the land of the Lord.

Some of you will go to Egypt;

others will go to Assyria

and eat unclean food.

4 You won’t be able to offer

sacrifices of wine

to the Lord.

None of your sacrifices

will please him—

they will be unclean

like food offered to the dead.

Your food will only be used

to satisfy your hunger;

none of it will be brought

to the Lord's temple.

5 You will no longer be able

to celebrate the festival

of the Lord.*9.5 festival of the Lord: Probably the Festival of Shelters.

6 Even if you escape alive,

you will end up in Egypt

and be buried in Memphis.*9.6 Memphis: An Egyptian city with a famous cemetery.

Your silver treasures

will be lost among weeds;*9.6 Your silver … weeds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

thorns will sprout in your tents.

7 *Lk 21.22. Israel, the time has come.

You will get what you deserve,

and you will know it.

"Prophets are fools," you say.

"And God’s messengers

are crazy."

Your terrible guilt

has filled you with hatred.

8 Israel, the Lord sent me

to look after you.*9.8 Israel … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

But you trap his prophets

and flood his temple

with your hatred.

9 *Jg 19.1-30. You are brutal and corrupt,

as were the men of Gibeah.*9.9 the men of Gibeah: They raped and murdered a woman (see Judges 19).

But God remembers your sin,

and you will be punished.

Sin’s Terrible Results

10 *Nu 25.1-5. Israel, when I, the Lord,

found you long ago

it was like finding

grapes in a barren desert

or tender young figs.

Then you worshiped Baal Peor,

that disgusting idol,

and you became as disgusting

as the idol you loved.

11 And so, Israel, your glory

will fly away like birds—

your women will no longer

be able to give birth.

12 Even if you do have children,

I will take them all

and leave you to mourn.

I will turn away,

and you will sink down

in deep trouble.

13 Israel, when I first met you,

I thought of you as palm trees

growing in fertile ground.*9.13 Israel, when … ground: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Now you lead your people out,

only to be slaughtered.

Hosea’s Advice

14 Our Lord, do just one thing

for your people—

make their women unable

to have children

or to nurse their babies.

The Lord’s Judgment on Israel

15 Israel, I first began

to hate you because

you did evil at Gilgal.*9.15 Gilgal: See 4.15.

Now I will chase you

out of my house.

No longer will I love you;

your leaders betrayed me.

16 Israel, you are a vine

with dried-up roots

and fruitless branches.

Even if you had more children

and loved them dearly,

I would slaughter them all.

Hosea Warns Israel

17 Israel, you disobeyed my God.

Now he will force you to roam

from nation to nation.