Hosea 9:11-17

New International Reader's Version

¹¹Ephraim’s greatness and glory will be gone.
    It will fly away like a bird.
Women will no longer have children.
    They will not be able to get pregnant.
¹²But suppose they do have children.
    Then I will kill every one of them.
How terrible it will be for them
    when I turn away from them!
¹³Tyre is planted in a pleasant place.
    And so is Ephraim.
But the Assyrians will kill
    Ephraim’s children.”

¹⁴Lord, what should you do to Ephraim’s people?
Give them women whose babies die before they are born.
Give them women whose breasts have no milk.

¹⁵The Lord says,

“My people did many evil things in Gilgal.
    That is why I hated them there.
They committed many sins.
    So I will drive them out of my land.
I will not love them anymore.
    All their leaders refuse to obey me.
¹⁶Ephraim is like a worthless plant.
    Its roots are dried up.
    It does not produce any fruit.
Suppose Ephraim’s people have children.
    Then I will kill the children they love so much.”