Hoseas 4

1 Hører Herrens Ord, Israels Børn! thi Herren har en Trætte med dem, som bo i Landet; thi der er ej Sandhed og ej Kærlighed og ej Gudskundskab i Landet;

Hear the word of Yahweh, ye sons of Israel, —that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, nor knowledge of God, in the land:

2 Sværgen og Lyren og Myrden og Stjælen og Bolen! man bryder ind, og Blodskyld rører ved Blodskyld.

Cursing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend.

3 Derfor sørger Landet, og alt, som bor deri, vansmægter, baade de vilde Dyr paa Marken og Fuglene under Himmelen, ogsaa Fiskene i Havet omkomme.

For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

4 Dog skal ingen trætte og ingen revse, da dit Folk er som de, der trætte med en Præst.

Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, —since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:

5 Derfor skal du falde om Dagen, og Profeten hos dig skal falde om Natten, og jeg vil lade din Moder gaa til Grunde.

So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night, —and I should destroy thine own mother.

6 Til Grunde gaar mit Folk, fordi det ikke har Kundskab; thi som du har forkastet Kundskab, saa vil ogsaa jeg forkaste dig, at du ikke skal gøre Præstetjeneste for mig; og som du glemte din Guds Lov, vil ogsaa jeg glemme dine Børn.

My people, are destroyed, for lack of knowledge, —Because, thou, hast rejected knowledge, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also, will forget thy children.

7 Jo mere de bleve mangfoldige, desto mere syndede de imod mig; deres Ære vil jeg omskifte til Skam.

As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, —My glory—for what was contemptible, did they exchange.

8 De æde mit Folks Syndofre og længes efter, at det skal forsynde sig.

The sin of my people, they do eat, —and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.

9 Derfor skal det gaa Præsten ligesom Folket; og jeg vil hjemsøge ham for hans Veje og betale ham for hans Idrætter.

So doth it come to be—like people, like priest, —therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him;

10 Og de skulle æde og ikke blive mætte, bedrive Hor og ikke formere sig; thi de have holdt op med at agte paa Herren.

And they shall eat, and not be satisfied, they have encouraged unchastity, yet have not been making increase, —for unto, Yahweh, have they left off giving heed: —

11 Horeri og Vin og Most tager Forstanden bort.

Unchastity, and wine, and new wine, take away the heart.

12 Mit Folk adspørger sin Træklods, og dets Kæp giver det Besked; thi en Horeriets Aand har forvildet dem, og de bedrive Hor, saa at de ikke ville staa under deres Gud.

My people, of their Wood, do ask, —Let, their Staff, then tell them, —for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under their God.

13 De ofre paa Bjergtoppene og gøre Røgoffer paa Højene under Ege og Popler og Terebinther, thi deres Skygge er god; derfor bole eders Døtre, og eders Svigerdøtre bedrive Hor.

On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, commit adultery.

14 Jeg vil ikke hjemsøge eders Døtre, fordi de bole, eller eders Svigerdøtre, fordi de bedrive Hor; thi selv gaa de afsides med Horkvinderne og ofre med Skøgerne; og Folket, som er uforstandigt, gaar til Grunde.

I do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice, —and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined.

15 Om du, Israel, end boler, saa gøre dog Juda sig ikke skyldig! kommer ikke til Gilgal, og gaar ikke op til Beth-Aven, og sværger ikke: Saa sandt Herren lever!

Though unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and [then] swear, By the life of Yahweh!

16 Thi Israel er bleven uregerlig som en uregerlig Ko; nu skal Herren lade dem græsse som Lam paa den vide Mark.

For, as a heifer that is stubborn, hath Israel, been stubborn, —Now, can Yahweh, turn them out to pasture, like a young ram in a wide place?

17 Efraim er bunden til Afgudsbilleder; lad ham fare!

Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.

18 Deres Drikken er skejet ud, Hor have de bedrevet; højt have deres Skjolde elsket Skændsel.

Their drinking-bout, having passed, —they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.

19 Et Vejr har omspændt dem med sine Vinger, og de skulle blive til Skamme for deres Ofre.

The wind hath bound her up in its wings, —that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.