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 shall enter into judgment with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no 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 killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood hath touched 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 every one that dwelleth in it shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air: yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be gathered together.
4 Yet, let no man strive, nor let any man reprove, for thy people are as those who strive with the priest.
But yet let not any man judge: and let not a man be rebuked: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest.
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.
And thou shalt fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with thee: in the night I have made thy mother to be silent.
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 have been silent, because they had no knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me: and thou hast 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 the multitude of them so have they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
They shall eat the sins of my people, and shall lift up their souls to their iniquity.
9 And it shall be, like people, like priest. And I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.
And there shall be like people like priest: and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them their devices.
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 filled: they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not observing his law.
11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.
Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the understanding.
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.
My people have consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against 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 offered sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burnt incense upon the hills: under the oak, and the poplar, and the turpentine tree, because the shadow thereof was good: therefore shall your daughters commit fornication, and your spouses shall be adulteresses.
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.
I will not visit upon your daughters when they shell commit fornication, and upon your spouses when they shall commit adultery: because themselves conversed with harlots, and offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and the people that doth not understand shall be beaten.
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.
If thou play the harlot, O Israel, at least let not Juda offend: and go ye not into Galgal, and come not up into Bethaven, and do not swear: The Lord liveth.
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 hath gone astray like a wanton heifer: now will the Lord feed them, as a lamb in a spacious place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.
Ephraim is a partaker with idols, let him alone.
18 Their drink has become sour. They play the harlot continually. Her rulers dearly love shame.
Their banquet is separated, they have gone astray by fornication: they that should have protected them have loved to bring shame upon them.
19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices.
The wind hath bound them up in its wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices.
