Hosea 9:7-17 ▼

7 The days of punishment have come, The days of retribution have come; Let Israel know this! The prophet is a fool, The inspired man is demented, Because of the grossness of your iniquity, And because your hostility is so great.

8 Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a prophet; Yet the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways, And there is only hostility in the house of his God.

9 They have gone deep in depravity 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 forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. But they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame, And they became as detestable as that which they loved.

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

12 Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them until not a man is left. Yes, woe to them indeed when I depart from them!

13 Ephraim, as I have seen, Is planted in a pleasant meadow like Tyre; But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter.

14 Give them, O LORD—what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

15 All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels.

16 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, They will bear no fruit. Even though they bear children, I will slay the precious ones of their womb.

17 My God will cast them away Because they have not listened to Him; And they will be wanderers among the nations.