Select: First Reading Second Reading Bible Background

Hosea 9

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for thou hast played the harlot, `departing' from thy God; thou hast loved hire upon every grain-floor.

2 The threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.

3 They shall not dwell in Jehovah's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

4 They shall not pour out wine-offerings to Jehovah, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.

5 What will ye do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah?

6 For, lo, they are gone away from destruction; `yet' Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; their pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them; thorns shall be in their tents.

7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the man that hath the spirit is mad, for the abundance of thine iniquity, and because the enmity is great.

8 Ephraim `was' a watchman with my God: as for the prophet, a fowler's snare is in all his ways, `and' enmity in the house of his God.

9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

10 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 unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.

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

13 Ephraim, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.

14 Give them, O Jehovah-what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.

16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.

17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Hosea 10

1 Israel is a luxuriant vine, that putteth forth his fruit: according to the abundance of his fruit he hath multiplied his altars; according to the goodness of their land they have made goodly pillars.

2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found guilty: he will smite their altars, he will destroy their pillars.

3 Surely now shall they say, We have no king; for we fear not Jehovah; and the king, what can he do for us?

4 They speak `vain' words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in terror for the calves of Beth-aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced over it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

6 It also shall be carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

7 `As for' Samaria, her king is cut off, as foam upon the water.

8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood; the battle against the children of iniquity doth not overtake them in Gibeah.

10 When it is my desire, I will chastise them; and the peoples shall be gathered against them, when they are bound to their two transgressions.

11 And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught, that loveth to tread out `the grain'; but I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will set a rider on Ephraim; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies; for thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces with her children.

15 So shall Beth-el do unto you because of your great wickedness: at daybreak shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off.

Second Reading: Psalms Chapter 109

Psalms 109

1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me: They have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

3 They have compassed me about also with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause.

4 For my love they are my adversaries: But I `give myself unto' prayer.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

6 Set thou a wicked man over him; And let an adversary stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; And let his prayer be turned into sin.

8 Let his days be few; `And' let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.

10 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; And let them seek `their bread' out of their desolate places.

11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; And let strangers make spoil of his labor.

12 Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah; And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before Jehovah continually, That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

16 Because he remembered not to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, And the broken in heart, to slay `them'.

17 Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.

18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the raiment wherewith he covereth himself, And for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, And of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 But deal thou with me, O Jehovah the Lord, for thy name's sake: Because thy lovingkindness is good, deliver thou me;

22 For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I am become also a reproach unto them: When they see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me, O Jehovah my God; Oh save me according to thy lovingkindness:

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; `That' thou, Jehovah, hast done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, they shall be put to shame, But thy servant shall rejoice.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 I will give great thanks unto Jehovah with my mouth; Yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from them that judge his soul. Psalm 110 A Psalm of David.

Bible Background

Select: First Reading Second Reading Bible Background