Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land!

Listen to the word of the Lord, sons of Israel, for the Lord is judge of the inhabitants of the land. Yet there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God, in the land.

2 Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.

Slander, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and bloodshed has brought more bloodshed.

3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.

Because of this, the land will mourn, and all who dwell in it will languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. And the fishes of the sea also will be gathered together.

4 But let no man contend; let no man offer reproof; for your people are like those who contend with a priest.

So, truly, let each and every one not judge, and let no man be accused, for your people are just like those who speak against the priesthood.

5 You will stumble by day, and the prophet will stumble with you by night; so I will destroy your mother—

And you will be ruined on this day, and now the prophet will be ruined with you. In the night, I have made your mother to be silent.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

My people have become silent because they had no knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I will drive you away; you do not perform the duties of the priesthood for me, and you have forgotten the law of your God, and so I will forget your sons.

7 The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; they exchanged their Glory for a thing of disgrace.

According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace.

8 They feed on the sins of My people and set their hearts on iniquity.

They will devour the sins of my people, and they will lift up their souls towards their iniquity.

9 And it shall be like people, like priest. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

And, just as it is with the people, so will it be with the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them for their intentions.

10 They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have stopped obeying the LORD.

And they will eat and not be satisfied. They have been committing fornication, and they did not cease. Since they have abandoned the Lord, they will not be safeguarded.

11 Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, have taken away their heart.

12 My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.

My people have inquired of their stave, and their staff has announced to them. For the spirit of fornication has deceived them, and they have been fornicating before their God.

13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

They have offered sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burnt incense on the hills, under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth tree, because its shadow was good; therefore, your daughters will commit fornication and your spouses will be adulteresses.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.

I will not send afflictions on your daughters, when they will commit fornication, nor on your spouses, when they will commit adultery, because you yourselves have associated with harlots and have offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and because the people who do not understand will be defeated.

15 Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’

If you commit fornication, Israel, at least let Judah not commit offenses; and do not be willing to enter into Gilgal, nor to ascend to Bethaven, and neither should you swear, “As the Lord lives.”

16 For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now shepherd them like lambs in an open meadow?

For Israel has gone astray like a wanton heifer; so now the Lord will pasture them like a young lamb in a wide expanse.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away.

18 When their liquor is gone, they turn to prostitution; their rulers dearly love disgrace.

Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors.

19 The whirlwind has wrapped them in its wings, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

The wind has fastened them to its wings, and they will be confounded because of their sacrifices.