Judgment of Israel’s Sin
1 Donot rejoice, O Israel, with joy likeotherpeoples,
For you have played the harlot against your God.
# You have made loveforhire 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 intheLord’s land,
# But Ephraim shall return to Egypt,
# Andshall eat uncleanthingsin Assyria.
4 They shall not offer wineofferingsto theLord,
# Norshall theirsacrifices be pleasing to Him.
Itshallbelike bread of mourners to them;
All who eat it shall be defiled.
For their breadshallbefor theirownlife;
It shall not come into the house of theLord.
5 What will you do in the appointed day,
And in the day of the feast of theLord?
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;
Thornsshallbein their tents.
7 Thedays of punishment have come;
The days of recompense have come.
Israel knows!
# The prophetisafool,
# The spiritual manisinsane,
Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.
8 Thewatchman of Ephraimiswith my God;
But the prophetisa fowler’s snare in all his ways—
Enmity in the house of his God.
9 They are deeply corrupted,
# As in the days ofGibeah.
He will remember their iniquity;
He will punish their sins.
10 “I found Israel
# Like grapes in thewilderness;
I saw your fathers
# As thefirstfruits on the fig tree in its first season.
# Butthey went toBaal Peor,
And separated themselvestothatshame;
# They became an abomination like the thing they loved.
11 AsforEphraim, 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 Justas I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place,
So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.”
14 Give them, OLord—
What will You give?
# Give thema miscarrying womb
And dry breasts!
15 “All their wickednessisinGilgal,
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 princesarerebellious.
16 Ephraim isstricken,
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 willcast them away,
Because they did not obey Him;
# And they shall bewanderers among the nations.