Hoseas 4

1 Hør, Israeliter, HERRENS Ord, thi HERREN gaar i rette med Landets Folk. Thi ej er der Troskab, ej Godhed, ej kender man Gud i Landet.

'Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife [is] to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,

2 Man sværger og lyver, myrder og stjæler, horer, gør Indbrud, og Blodskyld følger paa Blodskyld.

Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery — have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.

3 Derfor sørger Landet, og alt, hvad der bor der, sygner, Markens Dyr og Himlens Fugle; selv Havets Fisk svinder bort.

Therefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea — they are removed.

4 Dog skænde man ej, dog revse man ej, naar mit Folk kun er som dets Præster.

Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people [are] as those striving with a priest.

5 Du skal styrte ved Dag, og med dig Profeten ved Nat....

And thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have cut off thy mother.

6 Mit Folk skal gaa til Grunde, fordi det er uden Kundskab. Da du har vraget Kundskab, vrager jeg dig som Præst; du glemte din Guds Aabenbaring, saa glemmer og jeg dine Sønner.

Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!

7 Jo fler, des mere de synded, ombytted deres Ære med Skændsel;

According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.

8 mit Folks Synd lever de af, dets Brøde hungrer de efter.

The sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.

9 Men Præst skal det gaa som Folk; jeg hjemsøger ham for hans Færd, hans Id gengælder jeg ham.

And it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.

10 De skal spise, men ikke mættes, hore, men ej blive fler; thi de har sveget HERREN og holder fast ved Hor.

And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

11 Vin og Most tager Forstanden.

Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,

12 Mit Folk raadspørger sit Træ, og Svaret giver dets Stok; thi Horeaand ledte dem vild, de boler sig bort fra deres Gud.

My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.

13 De ofrer paa Bjergenes Tinder, paa Højene brænder de Ofre under en Eg, en Poppel, en Terebinte, thi Skyggen er god. Saa horer jo og eders Døtre, saa boler jo og eders Kvinder;

On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.

14 jeg straffer ej Døtrenes Hor, ej Kvinderne for deres Bolen; thi selv gaar de bort med Horer, ofrer sammen med Skøger; og det uvise Folk drages ned.

Therefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.

15 Men selv om du, Israel, horer, maa Juda ej gøre sig skyldigt. Gaa ikke over til Gilgal, drag ikke op til Bet-Aven, sværg ikke: »Saa sandt HERREN lever!«

Though a harlot thou [art], O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.

16 Thi som en uvan Ko er Israel uvan, skal HERREN saa lade dem græsse i Frihed som Lam?

For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.

17 Efraim er bundet til Afgudsbilleder; lad ham fare!

Joined to idols [is] Ephraim, let him alone.

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

Sour [is] their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.

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

Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!