Hosea 9:16

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

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

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.

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

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

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.
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.
DARBY: 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.
BLB: Ephraim is stricken, their root has withered; they will not bear fruit. Even if they give birth, I will kill the precious ones of their womb.

ÅB: Efra'im er ormstukket, deres rot er blitt tørr, frukt skal de ikke bære; om de enn føder, vil jeg drepe deres dyre livsfrukt.
OTB: Efraim er rammet, deres rot er uttørket,
De skal ikke bære frukt.
Selv om de føder,
Vil jeg drepe de dyrebare av deres livmor.
B1930: Efra'im er ormstukket, deres rot er blitt tørr, frukt skal de ikke bære; om de enn føder, vil jeg drepe deres dyre livsfrukt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Hosea 9:11–13
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
Read in context
Ezekiel 24:21
Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.
Read in context
Isaiah 5:24
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Read in context
Job 18:16
His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.
Read in context
Hosea 8:7
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.
Read in context
Isaiah 40:24
Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
Read in context
Malachi 4:1
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Read in context
Hosea 5:11
Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.
Read in context