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[1] Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

[2] The threshing 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 shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

[4] They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, Nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for their own life; It shall not come into the house of the Lord.

[5] What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the Lord?

[6] For indeed they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; Thorns shall be in their tents.

[7] The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, The spiritual man is insane, Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.

[8] The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God.

[9] They are deeply corrupted, As in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins.

[10] “I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.

[11] As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird— No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!

[12] Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!

[13] Just as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place, So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.”

[14] Give them, O Lord— What will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb And dry breasts!

[15] “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, For there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious.

[16] Ephraim is stricken, Their root is dried up; They shall bear no fruit. Yes, were they to bear children, I would kill the darlings of their womb.”

[17] My God will cast them away, Because they did not obey Him; And they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Hosea — Chapters