Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye sons of Israel, for Jehovah has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord [has] a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 There is nothing but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery. They break out, and blood touches blood.

Cursing, and lying, and murder, and theft, and adultery abound in the land, and they mingle blood with blood.

3 Therefore the land shall mourn, and everyone who dwells in it shall languish with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens. Yea, the fishes of the sea shall also be taken away.

Therefore shall the land mourn, and shall be diminished with all that dwell in it, with the wild beasts of the field, and the reptiles of the earth, and with the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea shall fail:

4 Yet, let no man strive, nor let any man reprove, for thy people are as those who strive with the priest.

that neither any one may plead, nor any one reprove [another]; but my people are as a priest spoken against.

5 And thou shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night. And I will destroy thy mother.

Therefore they shall fall by day, and the prophet with thee shall fall: I have compared thy mother unto night.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because thou have rejected knowledge, I also will reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me. Since thou have forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy sons.

My people are like as if they had no knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt not minister as priest to me: and [as] thou has forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

According to their multitude, so they sinned against me: I will turn their glory into shame.

8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

They will devour the sins of my people, and will set their hearts on their iniquities.

9 And it shall be, like people, like priest. And I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.

And the priest shall be as the people: and I will avenge on them their ways, and I will recompense to them their counsels.

10 And they shall eat, and not have enough. They shall play the harlot, and shall not increase, because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

And they shall eat, and shall not be satisfied: they have gone a-whoring, and shall by no means prosper: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.

11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.

The heart of my people has gladly engaged in fornication and wine and strong drink.

12 My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declares to them, for the spirit of whoredom has caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, departing from under their God.

They asked counsel by [means of] signs, and they reported answer to them by their staves: they have gone astray in a spirit of whoredom, and gone grievously a-whoring from their God.

13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow of it is good. Therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.

They have sacrificed on the tops of the mountains, and on the hills they have sacrificed under the oak and poplar, and under the shady tree, because the shade was good: therefore your daughters shall go a-whoring, and your daughters-in-law shall commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery. For themselves go apart with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes. And the people who do not understand shall be overthrown.

And I will not visit upon your daughters when they shall commit fornication, nor your daughters-in-law when they shall commit adultery: for they themselves mingled themselves with harlots, and sacrificed with polluted ones, and the people that understood not entangled itself with a harlot.

15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend, and come not ye to Gilgal, nor go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah lives.

But thou, O Israel, be not ignorant, and go ye not, [men of] Juda, to Galgala; and go not up to the house of On, and swear not by the living Lord.

16 For Israel has behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Now Jehovah will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

For Israel was maddened like a mad heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a wide place.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.

Ephraim, joined with idols, has laid stumbling-blocks in his own way.

18 Their drink has become sour. They play the harlot continually. Her rulers dearly love shame.

He has chosen the Chananites: they have grievously gone a-whoring: they have loved dishonour through her insolence.

19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices.

Thou art a blast of wind in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.