Israel Will Be Punished

1Israel, don't celebrate

or make noisy shouts+

like other nations.

You have been unfaithful

to your God.

Wherever grain is threshed,

you behave like prostitutes

because you enjoy

the money you receive.+

2But you will run short

of grain and wine,

3and you will have to leave

the land of the Lord.

Some of you will go to Egypt;

others will go to Assyria

and eat unclean food.

4You won't be able to offer

sacrifices of wine

to the Lord.

None of your sacrifices

will please him—

they will be unclean

like food offered to the dead.

Your food will only be used

to satisfy your hunger;

none of it will be brought

to the Lord's temple.

5You will no longer be able

to celebrate the festival

of the Lord.+

6Even if you escape alive,

you will end up in Egypt

and be buried in Memphis.+

Your silver treasures

will be lost among weeds;+

thorns will sprout in your tents.

7 Israel, the time has come.

You will get what you deserve,

and you will know it.

“Prophets are fools,” you say.

“And God's messengers

are crazy.”

Your terrible guilt

has filled you with hatred.

8Israel, the Lord sent me

to look after you.+

But you trap his prophets

and flood his temple

with your hatred.

9 You are brutal and corrupt,

as were the men of Gibeah.+

But God remembers your sin,

and you will be punished.

Sin's Terrible Results

10 Israel, when I, the Lord,

found you long ago

it was like finding

grapes in a barren desert

or tender young figs.

Then you worshiped Baal Peor,

that disgusting idol,

and you became as disgusting

as the idol you loved.

11And so, Israel, your glory

will fly away like birds—

your women will no longer

be able to give birth.

12Even if you do have children,

I will take them all

and leave you to mourn.

I will turn away,

and you will sink down

in deep trouble.

13Israel, when I first met you,

I thought of you as palm trees

growing in fertile ground.+

Now you lead your people out,

only to be slaughtered.

Hosea's Advice

14Our Lord, do just one thing

for your people—

make their women unable

to have children

or to nurse their babies.

The Lord's Judgment on Israel

15Israel, I first began

to hate you because

you did evil at Gilgal.+

Now I will chase you

out of my house.

No longer will I love you;

your leaders betrayed me.

16Israel, you are a vine

with dried-up roots

and fruitless branches.

Even if you had more children

and loved them dearly,

I would slaughter them all.

Hosea Warns Israel

17Israel, you disobeyed my God.

Now he will force you to roam

from nation to nation.