Hosea 9-11

New International Version

⁵ What will you do^(M) on the day of your appointed festivals,^(N)
    on the feast days of the Lord?
⁶ Even if they escape from destruction,
    Egypt will gather them,^(O)
    and Memphis^(P) will bury them.^(Q)
Their treasures of silver^(R) will be taken over by briers,
    and thorns^(S) will overrun their tents.
⁷ The days of punishment^(T) are coming,
    the days of reckoning^(U) are at hand.
    Let Israel know this.
Because your sins^(V) are so many
    and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,^(W)
    the inspired person a maniac.^(X)
8 The prophet, along with my God,
    is the watchman over Ephraim,^[a]
yet snares^(Y) await him on all his paths,
    and hostility in the house of his God.^(Z)
9 They have sunk deep into corruption,^(AA)
    as in the days of Gibeah.^(AB)
God will remember^(AC) their wickedness
    and punish them for their sins.^(AD)

¹⁰ “When I found Israel,
    it was like finding grapes in the desert;
when I saw your ancestors,
    it was like seeing the early fruit^(AE) on the fig^(AF) tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,^(AG)
    they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol^(AH)
    and became as vile as the thing they loved.
¹¹ Ephraim’s glory^(AI) will fly away like a bird^(AJ)—
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.^(AK)
12 Even if they rear children,
    I will bereave^(AL) them of every one.
Woe^(AM) to them
    when I turn away from them!^(AN)
13 I have seen Ephraim,^(AO) like Tyre,
    planted in a pleasant place.^(AP)
But Ephraim will bring out
    their children to the slayer.”^(AQ)

¹⁴ Give them, Lord—
    what will you give them?
Give them wombs that miscarry
    and breasts that are dry.^(AR)

¹⁵ “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,^(AS)
    I hated them there.
Because of their sinful deeds,^(AT)
    I will drive them out of my house.
I will no longer love them;^(AU)
    all their leaders are rebellious.^(AV)
16 Ephraim^(AW) is blighted,
    their root is withered,
    they yield no fruit.^(AX)
Even if they bear children,
    I will slay^(AY) their cherished offspring.”

¹⁷ My God will reject^(AZ) them
    because they have not obeyed^(BA) him;
    they will be wanderers among the nations.^(BB)

10 Israel was a spreading vine;^(BC)
    he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
    he built more altars;^(BD)
as his land prospered,^(BE)
    he adorned his sacred stones.^(BF)
2 Their heart is deceitful,^(BG)
    and now they must bear their guilt.^(BH)
The Lord will demolish their altars^(BI)
    and destroy their sacred stones.^(BJ)

³ Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us?”
⁴ They make many promises,
    take false oaths^(BK)
    and make agreements;^(BL)
therefore lawsuits spring up
    like poisonous weeds^(BM) in a plowed field.
⁵ The people who live in Samaria fear
    for the calf-idol^(BN) of Beth Aven.^[b](BO)
Its people will mourn over it,
    and so will its idolatrous priests,^(BP)
those who had rejoiced over its splendor,
    because it is taken from them into exile.^(BQ)
6 It will be carried to Assyria^(BR)
    as tribute^(BS) for the great king.^(BT)
Ephraim will be disgraced;^(BU)
    Israel will be ashamed^(BV) of its foreign alliances.
⁷ Samaria’s king will be destroyed,^(BW)
    swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
⁸ The high places^(BX) of wickedness^[c](BY) will be destroyed—
    it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns^(BZ) and thistles will grow up
    and cover their altars.^(CA)
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”^(CB)
    and to the hills, “Fall on us!”^(CC)

⁹ “Since the days of Gibeah,^(CD) you have sinned,^(CE) Israel,
    and there you have remained.^[d]
Will not war again overtake
    the evildoers in Gibeah?
¹⁰ When I please, I will punish^(CF) them;
    nations will be gathered against them
    to put them in bonds for their double sin.
¹¹ Ephraim is a trained heifer
    that loves to thresh;
so I will put a yoke^(CG)
    on her fair neck.
I will drive Ephraim,
    Judah must plow,
    and Jacob must break up the ground.
¹² Sow^(CH) righteousness^(CI) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;^(CJ)
    for it is time to seek^(CK) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness^(CL) on you.
¹³ But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,^(CM)
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.^(CN)
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors,^(CO)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
    so that all your fortresses will be devastated^(CP)—
as Shalman^(CQ) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
    when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.^(CR)
15 So will it happen to you, Bethel,
    because your wickedness is great.
When that day dawns,
    the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.^(CS)

⁵ “Will they not return to Egypt^(DE)
    and will not Assyria^(DF) rule over them
    because they refuse to repent?^(DG)
6 A sword^(DH) will flash in their cities;
    it will devour^(DI) their false prophets
    and put an end to their plans.
⁷ My people are determined to turn^(DJ) from me.^(DK)
    Even though they call me God Most High,
    I will by no means exalt them.

⁸ “How can I give you up,^(DL) Ephraim?^(DM)
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboyim?^(DN)
My heart is changed within me;
    all my compassion^(DO) is aroused.^(DP)
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,^(DQ)
    nor will I devastate^(DR) Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man^(DS)—
    the Holy One^(DT) among you.
    I will not come against their cities.
¹⁰ They will follow the Lord;
    he will roar^(DU) like a lion.^(DV)
When he roars,
    his children will come trembling^(DW) from the west.^(DX)
11 They will come from Egypt,
    trembling like sparrows,
    from Assyria,^(DY) fluttering like doves.^(DZ)
I will settle them in their homes,”^(EA)
    declares the Lord.