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, ye children of Israel; for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; because there is no truth, nor kindness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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

There is false swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery: they break the bounds, and blood toucheth on blood.

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.

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heaven; yea, also the fishes of the sea shall perish.

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

Yet let no man strive, let no man reprove another: and thy people are contentious equally with the priest.

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

Therefore shalt thou stumble in the daytime, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy 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 destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, so will I also reject thee, that thou shalt not be a priest to me; and as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, so will I myself also forget thy children.

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

The more they increased, the more did they sin against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

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

The sin-offering of my people do they eat, and for their iniquity doth the soul of each one of them long.

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

Therefore shall the same befall both people and priest: and I will punish every one of them for his ways, and recompense every one for his doings.

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 shall not be satisfied; they will commit lewdness, and they shall not increase; because the Lord have they forsaken [not] keeping [his law].

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

Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the 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 ask counsel of their stick of wood, and their staff shall tell them [the future]: for the spirit of lewdness hath caused them to err, and they are gone astray unfaithful to 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.

Upon the tops of the mountains do they sacrifice, and upon the hills burn they incense, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because their shadow is good: therefore will your daughters play the harlot, and your daughter-in-law will 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 cannot inflict punishment on your daughters when they play the harlot, nor on your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves associate with lewd women, and with harlots do they sacrifice: and so doth the people that doth not understand stumble.

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!’

Yet though thou play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah offend: and come not ye unto Gilgal, nor go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As the Lord liveth.

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

For like an untamable cow is Israel disobedient: now would the Lord have fed them as a sheep in a wide pasture.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

Ephraim is bound to idols: let him alone.

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

Their drinking bout will come to an end: while they are so often guilty of lewdness, their rulers love, prepare themselves but shame.

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

The wind seizeth fast on them with its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.