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Punishment for Israel’s Sin

Rejoice not, O Israel!
Exult not[a] like the peoples;
for you have played the harlot, forsaking your God.
    You have loved a harlot’s hire
    upon all threshing floors.
Threshing floor and winevat shall not feed them,
    and the new wine shall fail them.
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.

They shall not pour libations of wine to the Lord;
    and they shall not please him with their sacrifices.
Their bread[b] 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.

What will you do on the day of appointed festival,
    and on the day of the feast of the Lord?
For behold, they are going to Assyria;[c]
    Egypt shall gather them,
    Memphis shall bury them.
Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver;
    thorns shall be in their tents.

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.
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.
They have deeply corrupted themselves
    as in the days of Gib′e-ah:
he will remember their iniquity,
    he will punish their sins.

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,[d]
    and became detestable like the thing they loved.
11 E′phraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird—
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!
12 Even if they bring up children,
    I will bereave them till none is left.
Woe to them
    when I depart from them!
13 E′phraim’s sons, as I have seen, are destined for a prey;[e]
    E′phraim must lead forth his sons to slaughter.
14 Give them, O Lord
    what wilt thou give?
Give them a miscarrying womb
    and dry breasts.

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.

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.
17 My God will cast them off,
    because they have not hearkened to him;
    they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 9:1 Gk: Heb to exultation
  2. Hosea 9:4 Cn: Heb to them
  3. Hosea 9:6 Cn: Heb from destruction
  4. Hosea 9:10 Heb shame
  5. Hosea 9:13 Cn Compare Gk: Heb uncertain

Punishment for Israel

Do not rejoice, Israel;
    do not be jubilant(A) like the other nations.
For you have been unfaithful(B) to your God;
    you love the wages of a prostitute(C)
    at every threshing floor.
Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people;
    the new wine(D) will fail them.
They will not remain(E) in the Lord’s land;
    Ephraim will return to Egypt(F)
    and eat unclean food in Assyria.(G)
They will not pour out wine offerings(H) to the Lord,
    nor will their sacrifices please(I) him.
Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners;(J)
    all who eat them will be unclean.(K)
This food will be for themselves;
    it will not come into the temple of the Lord.(L)

What will you do(M) on the day of your appointed festivals,(N)
    on the feast days of the Lord?
Even if they escape from destruction,
    Egypt will gather them,(O)
    and Memphis(P) will bury them.(Q)
Their treasures of silver(R) will be taken over by briers,
    and thorns(S) will overrun their tents.
The days of punishment(T) are coming,
    the days of reckoning(U) are at hand.
    Let Israel know this.
Because your sins(V) are so many
    and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,(W)
    the inspired person a maniac.(X)
The prophet, along with my God,
    is the watchman over Ephraim,[a]
yet snares(Y) await him on all his paths,
    and hostility in the house of his God.(Z)
They have sunk deep into corruption,(AA)
    as in the days of Gibeah.(AB)
God will remember(AC) their wickedness
    and punish them for their sins.(AD)

10 “When I found Israel,
    it was like finding grapes in the desert;
when I saw your ancestors,
    it was like seeing the early fruit(AE) on the fig(AF) tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,(AG)
    they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol(AH)
    and became as vile as the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim’s glory(AI) will fly away like a bird(AJ)
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.(AK)
12 Even if they rear children,
    I will bereave(AL) them of every one.
Woe(AM) to them
    when I turn away from them!(AN)
13 I have seen Ephraim,(AO) like Tyre,
    planted in a pleasant place.(AP)
But Ephraim will bring out
    their children to the slayer.”(AQ)

14 Give them, Lord
    what will you give them?
Give them wombs that miscarry
    and breasts that are dry.(AR)

15 “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,(AS)
    I hated them there.
Because of their sinful deeds,(AT)
    I will drive them out of my house.
I will no longer love them;(AU)
    all their leaders are rebellious.(AV)
16 Ephraim(AW) is blighted,
    their root is withered,
    they yield no fruit.(AX)
Even if they bear children,
    I will slay(AY) their cherished offspring.”

17 My God will reject(AZ) them
    because they have not obeyed(BA) him;
    they will be wanderers among the nations.(BB)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 9:8 Or The prophet is the watchman over Ephraim, / the people of my God

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law how on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.”

The Man with a Withered Hand

And he went on from there, and entered their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, whole like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
    my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
    and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not wrangle or cry aloud,
    nor will any one hear his voice in the streets;
20 he will not break a bruised reed
    or quench a smoldering wick,
till he brings justice to victory;
21     and in his name will the Gentiles hope.”

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Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(A)(B)

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain(C) and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(D)

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(E) He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.(F) Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath(G) and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(H) If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a](I) you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man(J) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,(K) they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(L)

11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?(M) 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!(N) Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.(O)

God’s Chosen Servant

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.(P) 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.(Q) 17 This was to fulfill(R) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
    the one I love, in whom I delight;(S)
I will put my Spirit on him,(T)
    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
    no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21     In his name the nations will put their hope.”[b](U)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
  2. Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4

Israel’s Sin and Captivity

10 Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased
    the more altars he built;
as his country improved
    he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
    now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord[a] will break down their altars,
    and destroy their pillars.

For now they will say:
    “We have no king,
for we fear not the Lord,
    and a king, what could he do for us?”
They utter mere words;
    with empty oaths they make covenants;
so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds
    in the furrows of the field.
The inhabitants of Samar′ia tremble
    for the calf[b] of Beth-a′ven.
Its people shall mourn for it,
    and its idolatrous priests shall wail[c] over it,
    over its glory which has departed from it.
Yea, the thing itself shall be carried to Assyria,
    as tribute to the great king.[d]
E′phraim shall be put to shame,
    and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.[e]

Samar′ia’s king shall perish,
    like a chip on the face of the waters.
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
    shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
    on their altars;
and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
    and to the hills, Fall upon us.

From the days of Gib′e-ah, you have sinned, O Israel;
    there they have continued.
    Shall not war overtake them in Gib′e-ah?
10 I will come[f] against the wayward people to chastise them;
    and nations shall be gathered against them
    when they are chastised[g] for their double iniquity.

11 E′phraim was a trained heifer
    that loved to thresh,
    and I spared her fair neck;
but I will put E′phraim to the yoke,
    Judah must plow,
    Jacob must harrow for himself.
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness,
    reap the fruit[h] of steadfast love;
    break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
    that he may come and rain salvation upon you.

13 You have plowed iniquity,
    you have reaped injustice,
    you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your chariots[i]
    and in the multitude of your warriors,
14 therefore the tumult of war shall arise among your people,
    and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
as Shalman destroyed Beth-ar′bel on the day of battle;
    mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O house of Israel,[j]
    because of your great wickedness.
In the storm[k] the king of Israel
    shall be utterly cut off.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:2 Heb he
  2. Hosea 10:5 Gk Syr: Heb calves
  3. Hosea 10:5 Cn: Heb exult
  4. Hosea 10:6 Cn: Heb a king that will contend
  5. Hosea 10:6 Cn: Heb counsel
  6. Hosea 10:10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb in my desire
  7. Hosea 10:10 Gk: Heb bound
  8. Hosea 10:12 Gk: Heb according to
  9. Hosea 10:13 Gk: Heb way
  10. Hosea 10:15 Gk: Heb O Bethel
  11. Hosea 10:15 Cn: Heb dawn

10 Israel was a spreading vine;(A)
    he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
    he built more altars;(B)
as his land prospered,(C)
    he adorned his sacred stones.(D)
Their heart is deceitful,(E)
    and now they must bear their guilt.(F)
The Lord will demolish their altars(G)
    and destroy their sacred stones.(H)

Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us?”
They make many promises,
    take false oaths(I)
    and make agreements;(J)
therefore lawsuits spring up
    like poisonous weeds(K) in a plowed field.
The people who live in Samaria fear
    for the calf-idol(L) of Beth Aven.[a](M)
Its people will mourn over it,
    and so will its idolatrous priests,(N)
those who had rejoiced over its splendor,
    because it is taken from them into exile.(O)
It will be carried to Assyria(P)
    as tribute(Q) for the great king.(R)
Ephraim will be disgraced;(S)
    Israel will be ashamed(T) of its foreign alliances.
Samaria’s king will be destroyed,(U)
    swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
The high places(V) of wickedness[b](W) will be destroyed—
    it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns(X) and thistles will grow up
    and cover their altars.(Y)
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”(Z)
    and to the hills, “Fall on us!”(AA)

“Since the days of Gibeah,(AB) you have sinned,(AC) Israel,
    and there you have remained.[c]
Will not war again overtake
    the evildoers in Gibeah?
10 When I please, I will punish(AD) them;
    nations will be gathered against them
    to put them in bonds for their double sin.
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer
    that loves to thresh;
so I will put a yoke(AE)
    on her fair neck.
I will drive Ephraim,
    Judah must plow,
    and Jacob must break up the ground.
12 Sow(AF) righteousness(AG) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;(AH)
    for it is time to seek(AI) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness(AJ) on you.
13 But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,(AK)
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.(AL)
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors,(AM)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
    so that all your fortresses will be devastated(AN)
as Shalman(AO) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
    when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.(AP)
15 So will it happen to you, Bethel,
    because your wickedness is great.
When that day dawns,
    the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:5 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
  2. Hosea 10:8 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see verse 5.
  3. Hosea 10:9 Or there a stand was taken

Bear One Another’s Burdens

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if any one thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each man will have to bear his own load.

Let him who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches.

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Final Admonitions and Benediction

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God.

17 Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 6:14 Or through whom

Doing Good to All

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit(A) should restore(B) that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.(C) If anyone thinks they are something(D) when they are not, they deceive themselves.(E) Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone,(F) without comparing themselves to someone else,(G) for each one should carry their own load.(H) Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.(I)

Do not be deceived:(J) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.(K) Whoever sows to please their flesh,(L) from the flesh will reap destruction;(M) whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.(N) Let us not become weary in doing good,(O) for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.(P) 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good(Q) to all people, especially to those who belong to the family(R) of believers.

Not Circumcision but the New Creation

11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!(S)

12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh(T) are trying to compel you to be circumcised.(U) The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted(V) for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law,(W) yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.(X) 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,(Y) through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.(Z) 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything;(AA) what counts is the new creation.(AB) 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to[b] the Israel of God.

17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks(AC) of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ(AD) be with your spirit,(AE) brothers and sisters. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 6:14 Or whom
  2. Galatians 6:16 Or rule and to