1 D o not be happy, O Israel! Do not be glad like the nations! For you have sinned like a woman who sells the use of her body, turning away from your God. You have loved selling yourselves on every grain-floor.

Don’t rejoice, Israel, to jubilation like the nations; for you were unfaithful to your God. You love the wages of a prostitute at every grain threshing floor.

2 T he grain-floor and the place where the grapes are crushed will not feed them. And they will not have enough new wine.

The threshing floor and the wine press won’t feed them, and the new wine will fail her.

3 T hey will not stay in the Lord’s land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt. And in Assyria they will eat unclean food.

They won’t dwell in Yahweh’s land; but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

4 T hey will not pour out drink gifts of wine to the Lord. Their gifts of worship will not please Him. Their bread will be like the bread of those in sorrow. Everyone who eats it will be unclean, for their bread will be for themselves alone. It will not come into the house of the Lord.

They won’t pour out wine offerings to Yahweh, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into Yahweh’s house.

5 W hat will you do on the days set to have a special supper for the Lord?

What will you do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Yahweh?

6 W hen trouble comes and the people try to get away, Egypt will gather them up. Memphis will bury them. Their riches of silver will be grown over by weeds, and thorns will be in their tents.

For, behold, they have gone away from destruction. Egypt will gather them up. Memphis will bury them. Nettles will possess their pleasant things of silver. Thorns will be in their tents.

7 T he days of punishment have come, the days when the people must pay for their sins. Let Israel know this. The man who tells what will happen in the future is a fool. The man who is led by the spirit is crazy. This is because of all your sin and anger.

The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Israel will consider the prophet to be a fool, and the man who is inspired to be insane, because of the abundance of your sins, and because your hostility is great.

8 E phraim was meant to be a watchman who would speak for God. Yet there is a net in all his ways, and only anger in the house of his God.

A prophet watches over Ephraim with my God. A fowler’s snare is on all of his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.

9 T hey have gone deep into sin, as in the days of Gibeah. The Lord will remember their wrong-doing, and will punish their sins.

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.

10 “ I found Israel like grapes in the desert. I saw your fathers like the first-fruit on the fig tree in its first year. But they came to Baal-peor and gave themselves to that false god of shame. They became as sinful as the thing they loved.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.

11 E phraim’s greatness will fly away like a bird. There will be no more children born to them, and they will not be able to have children.

As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, no one with child, and no conception.

12 E ven if they raise children, I will take them away and not leave anyone alive. It will be bad for them when I leave them!

Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them, so that not a man shall be left. Indeed, woe also to them when I depart from them!

13 I have seen Ephraim planted in a good field like Tyre. But Ephraim will lead his children out to be killed.”

I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.

14 O Lord, what will You give them? Give them children who die before they are born, and make them not able to nurse their babies.

Give them—Yahweh what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

15 “ Because of all their sin at Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of the sinful things they did, I will drive them out of My house. I will not love them any more. All their leaders would not obey Me.

“All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them. 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 E phraim is destroyed. Their root is dried up and they will give no fruit. Even if they give birth, I will kill the children they love.”

Ephraim is struck. Their root has dried up. They will bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, yet I will kill the beloved ones of their womb.”

17 M y God will send them away because they have not listened to Him. And they will travel from nation to nation.

My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.