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!

Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has an accusation against the inhabitants of the land! “There is no faithfulness, no loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.

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

Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows 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.

As a result the land dries up, and everyone who lives there is wasting away, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea—they are all dying.

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

But no one should accuse or blame anyone else. My quarrel is with you the priests—you are the ones responsible.

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

Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.

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 are dying because they don't know me. Because you have refused to know me, I refuse to accept you as my priests. You have forgotten my teachings, so I will forget your children.

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

The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.

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

They feed on the sin of my people, greedy for 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.

So it will be for the people like the priests: I will punish them for what they have done, repaying them for their actions.

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

They will eat, but they will not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but they will not prosper because they have given up on the Lord to go and prostitute themselves to other gods.

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

They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.

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 consult their wooden idols and their divining rods give them answers, for a spirit of prostitution makes them go astray. Prostituting themselves, they have deserted 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 offer sacrifices on the tops of mountains; they burn incense in the hills under the oak, poplar, and terebinth trees where the shade is pleasant. That's the reason why your daughters practice prostitution and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

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 punish your daughters when they practice prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because you men visit whores and sacrifice with temple prostitutes. A people who lack understanding end up in disaster.

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!’

Though you, Israel, have become a prostitute, may Judah not offend in the same way and not enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear saying, ‘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 is as stubborn as a stubborn cow. Should the Lord then take care of them like a lamb in a wide pasture?

17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!

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

Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.

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

A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.