Hosea 9

1 Do not rejoice [with worldly joy], O Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants], with exultation [loud and triumphant celebration] like the nations [other peoples, Gentiles], for you have played the harlot [been unfaithful, committed spiritual adultery] against your God [Elohim, the one supreme God]; you have made love for hire [loved a reward, been motivated by selfish gain] on every threshing floor [open area for grain separation, a place of abundance]. word study 2 The threshing floor [grain-floor, place of separation] and winepress [place where grapes are crushed] will not feed them [provide for their needs], and the new wine [freshly squeezed, fermented wine] will fail them [deceive, be untrue to their expectations]. word study 3 They will not [never, under no circumstances] remain in the land [territory, region] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]; Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel] will return [to turn back, come back] to Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] and eat [consume, devour] unclean [spiritually impure, defiled] food [sustenance, nourishment] in Assyria [a region in the ancient Near East, also known as Asshur]. word study 4 They will not [under any circumstances] pour out wine offerings [as an act of worship] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], and their sacrifices [gifts to appease Him] will not please [be acceptable to] Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners [food eaten in sorrow]; all who eat [partake of] will be defiled [made unclean, polluted]. For their bread [sustenance, food] will be for themselves [their own benefit, not for God]; it will not enter [be brought into] the house of the LORD [the temple, God’s dwelling place]. word study 5 What [how, in what manner] will you do on the appointed [set, designated] day [season, time], on the day [festival, celebration] of the LORD’s [Yehovah, the Lord’s] feast [sacred assembly, festival]? word study 6 For even if they flee [to escape, from danger] destruction [violence, ruin], Egypt [the land of the Nile] will gather [collect, assemble] them and Memphis [the capital of Lower Egypt] will bury [inter, lay to rest] them. Their precious [desirable, beloved] silver [wealth, treasure] will be taken over [possessed, overrun] by thistles [wild, unwanted plants, a type of thorny growth], and thorns [prickly, troublesome weeds] will overrun [grow in, occupy] their tents [tabernacles, dwelling places]. word study 7 The days [of reckoning, visitation] of punishment [recompense, reward] have come; the days [of repayment, retribution] of retribution [recompense, punishment] have arrived— let Israel [God’s chosen people] know [understand, recognize] it. The prophet [someone who speaks for God] is called a fool [ignorant, despising wisdom], and the inspired [spiritual] man [having the Spirit of God] insane [crazy, out of his mind], because of the greatness [abundance, multitude] of your iniquity [moral evil, sin] and hostility [hatred, enmity]. word study 8 The prophet [watchman, one who observes and warns] is Ephraim’s [doubly fruitful, referring to Joseph’s son and the tribe that descended from him] watchman, along with my God [Elohim, the one supreme God], yet the snare [net, trap] of the fowler [bird catcher, one who sets traps] lies on all his paths [ways, roads]. Hostility [hatred, enmity] is in the house [dwelling place, temple] of his God! word study 9 They have deeply [profoundly, utterly] corrupted [ruined, destroyed] themselves as in the days [period of time] of Gibeah [a city in Palestine]; He will remember [recall, mark] their guilt [iniquity, moral evil]; He will punish [visit, reckon with] their sins [transgressions, wrongdoing]. word study 10 I found Israel [like a treasure, a precious discovery] like grapes in the wilderness [a desolate, uninhabited land]. I saw your fathers [the patriarchs, ancestral leaders] as the firstfruits [the earliest and best] of the fig tree in its first season [at the beginning, the initial stage]. But they went [came, approached] to Baal-peor [a Moabite deity, a false god], and consecrated [dedicated, set apart] themselves to Shame [a state of disgrace]; so they became [existed, came to be] as detestable [abhorrent] as the thing they loved [had affection for, cherished]. word study 11 Ephraim’s [doubly fruitful, prominent tribe] glory [great honor, splendor] will fly away [disappear, vanish] like a bird [fowl, winged creature], with no birth [no begetting, no offspring], no pregnancy [no conception, no womb], and no conception [no childbearing, no fruitfulness]. word study 12 Even if they raise [bring up, nourish] their children, I will bereave [deprive, make childless] them of each one [leave none, without a man]. Yes, woe [sorrow, calamity] be to them when I turn away [depart, remove myself] from them! word study 13 I have seen Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel], like Tyre [a major Phoenician city], planted [transplanted, rooted] in a meadow [a pleasant place, pasture]. But Ephraim will bring out [lead forth, cause to come out] his children [sons, descendants] for slaughter [to be killed, murdered, slain]. word study 14 Give them, O LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]— what [in what manner] will You give? Give them wombs [a barren womb, without children] that miscarry [be bereaved, suffer loss] and breasts [swollen, for nursing] that dry up [shrivel, wither away]! word study 15 All [every single one, the entirety of] their evil [wickedness, bad deeds] appears [is revealed, becomes evident] at Gilgal [a place of rolling or wheel-shaped stones], for [because, since] there [in that specific location] I hated [felt intense dislike, was displeased with] them. I will drive [expel, thrust out] them from My house [My dwelling place, the temple] for [due to, as a result of] the wickedness [evil, sinful nature] of their deeds [actions, works]. I will no longer [not again, not from now on] love [show affection, have compassion for] them; all [every one of] their leaders [princes, rulers] are rebellious [revolters, disobedient, turning away from Me]. word study 16 Ephraim [a tribe of Israel, doubly fruitful] is struck down [smitten, blighted]; their root [source, foundation] is withered [dried up, without water]; they cannot bear [yield, produce] fruit [the fruit of their actions]. Even if they bear [beget, give birth to] children [offspring, descendants], I will slay [put to death, slaughter] the darlings [beloved, desired ones] of their wombs [bellies, the seat of life]. word study 17 My God [Elohim, the supreme deity] will reject [cast away, spurn] them because they have not [refused to] obeyed [hearkened to, listened to] Him; and they shall be [become, remain] wanderers [nomads, fugitives] among the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study