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9:1 Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples;for you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved a harlot's hire upon all threshing floors. 9:2 Threshing floor and winevat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them. 9:3 They shall not remain in the land of the LORD;but E'phraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 9:4 They shall not pour libations of wine to the LORD;and they shall not please him with their sacrifices. Their bread shall be like mourners' bread;all who eat of it shall be defiled;for their bread shall be for their hunger only;it shall not come to the house of the LORD. 9:5 What will you do on the day of appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the LORD? 9:6 For behold, they are going to Assyria;Egypt shall gather them, Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver;thorns shall be in their tents. 9:7 The days of punishment have come, the days of recompense have come;Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred. 9:8 The prophet is the watchman of E'phraim, the people of my God, yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gib'e-ah: he will remember their iniquity, he will punish their sins. 9:10 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree, in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Ba'al-pe'or, and consecrated themselves to Ba'al, and became detestable like the thing they loved. 9:11 E'phraim's glory shall fly away like a bird -- no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! 9:12 Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them! 9:13 E'phraim's sons, as I have seen, are destined for a prey;E'phraim must lead forth his sons to slaughter. 9:14 Give them, O LORD -- what wilt thou give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 9:15 Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal;there I began to hate 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. 9:16 E'phraim is stricken, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, I will slay their beloved children. 9:17 My God will cast them off, because they have not hearkened to him;they shall be wanderers among the nations.