Hosea Announces Israel’s Punishment

1O people of Israel,

do not rejoice as other nations do.

For you have been unfaithful to your God,

hiring yourselves out like prostitutes,

worshiping other gods on every threshing floor.

2So now your harvests will be too small to feed you.

There will be no grapes for making new wine.

3You may no longer stay here in the LORD’s land.

Instead, you will return to Egypt,

and in Assyria you will eat food

that is ceremonially unclean.

4There you will make no offerings of wine to the LORD.

None of your sacrifices there will please him.

They will be unclean, like food touched by a person in mourning.

All who present such sacrifices will be defiled.

They may eat this food themselves,

but they may not offer it to the LORD.

5What then will you do on festival days?

How will you observe the LORD’s festivals?

6Even if you escape destruction from Assyria,

Egypt will conquer you, and Memphisa will bury you.

Nettles will take over your treasures of silver;

thistles will invade your ruined homes.

7The time of Israel’s punishment has come;

the day of payment is here.

Soon Israel will know this all too well.

Because of your great sin and hostility,

you say, “The prophets are crazy

and the inspired men are fools!”

8The prophet is a watchman over Israelb for my God,

yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes.

He faces hostility even in the house of God.

9The things my people do are as depraved

as what they did in Gibeah long ago.

God will not forget.

He will surely punish them for their sins.

10The LORD says, “O Israel, when I first found you,

it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert.

When I saw your ancestors,

it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season.

But then they deserted me for Baal-peor,

giving themselves to that shameful idol.

Soon they became vile,

as vile as the god they worshiped.

11The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird,

for your children will not be born

or grow in the womb

or even be conceived.

12Even if you do have children who grow up,

I will take them from you.

It will be a terrible day when I turn away

and leave you alone.

13I have watched Israel become as beautiful as Tyre.

But now Israel will bring out her children for slaughter.”

14O LORD, what should I request for your people?

I will ask for wombs that don’t give birth

and breasts that give no milk.

15The LORD says, “All their wickedness began at Gilgal;

there I began to hate them.

I will drive them from my land

because of their evil actions.

I will love them no more

because all their leaders are rebels.

16The people of Israel are struck down.

Their roots are dried up,

and they will bear no more fruit.

And if they give birth,

I will slaughter their beloved children.”

17My God will reject the people of Israel

because they will not listen or obey.

They will be wanderers,

homeless among the nations.