“They shall not pour
Drink offerings
Of wine
To Yahweh.
Their sacrifices
Shall not please him.
Such sacrifices shall be
Like mourners’ bread.
All who eat of it
Shall be defiled.
Their bread
Shall be
For their hunger only.
It shall not come
To the house
Of Yahweh.”
Hosea told them that in their captivity, they will not be able to pour out drink offerings of wine to Yahweh. Their sacrifices would not please God. These sacrifices would be like the defiled bread of mourners who have had contact with the dead. The only reason to eat this bread would be because they were hungry. There will be no more symbolic bread, since they will no longer have contact with the house of Yahweh.