Israel’s Punishment

Hosea 9:16

In 11 translations

BSB: Ephraim is struck down; their root is withered; they cannot bear fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay the darlings of their wombs.
KJV: Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.the…: Heb. the desires
WEB: 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.”
ASV: 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.
LSV: Ephraim has been struck, || Their root has dried up, they do not yield fruit, || Indeed, though they bring forth, || I have put to death the desired of their womb.
YLT: Ephraim hath been smitten, Their root hath dried up, fruit they yield not, Yea, though they bring forth, I have put to death the desired of their womb.
DBY: Ephraim is smitten: their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; yea, though they should bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved [fruit] of their womb.
DRC: Ephraim is struck, their root is dried up, they shall yield no fruit. And if they should have issue, I will slay the best beloved fruit of their womb.
GNV: Ephraim is smitten, their roote is dried vp: they can bring no fruite: yea, though they bring foorth, yet will I slaie euen the dearest of their bodie.
JPS: 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.
LXXE: Ephraim is sick, he is dried up at his roots, he shall in no wise any more bear fruit: wherefore even if they should beget children, I will kill the desired fruit of their womb.

Word by word Hebrew · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Hebrew has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

Written (Ketiv): בְלִי (“without”). Read aloud (Qere): בַֽל (“not”) — the form shown in the word-by-word reader.

Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (1)

Leningrad Codex reads בַֽלי־; read aloud (Qere) reads בַֽל (“not”).

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

WLC: הֻכָּ֣ה אֶפְרַ֔יִם שָׁרְשָׁ֥ם יָבֵ֖שׁ פְּרִ֣י בלי־יַעֲשׂ֑וּן גַּ֚ם כִּ֣י יֵֽלֵד֔וּן וְהֵמַתִּ֖י מַחֲמַדֵּ֥י בִטְנָֽם׃Read aloud as (qere): בַֽל
LXX-Br: Ἐπόνεσεν Ἐφραίμ· τὰς ῥίζας αὐτοῦ ἐξηράνθη, καρπὸν οὐκ ἔτι μὴ ἐνέγκῃ· διότι καὶ ἐὰν γεννήσωσιν, ἀποκτενῶ τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα κοιλίας αὐτῶν.

Who and where

👤 Ephraim◆ Prophecies of Hosea

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

Root Trees Backsliders Israel, Prophecies concerning

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

Hosea 9:11–13Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception. Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them! I have seen…
Ezekiel 24:21Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left…
Isaiah 5:24Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of…
Job 18:16The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away.
Malachi 4:1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be…
Hosea 8:7For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up.
Isaiah 40:24No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.
Hosea 5:11Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).