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 a word of YHWH, sons of Israel, For a strife [is] to YHWH with inhabitants of the land, For 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.

Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery—have increased, And blood has touched against 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 the land mourns, And every dweller is weak in it, With the beast of the field, And with the bird of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea—they are removed.

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

Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And your people [are] as those striving with a priest.

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

And you have stumbled in the day, And a prophet has also stumbled with you in the night, And I have cut off 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 have been cut off for lack of knowledge, Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priest to Me, And you forget the Law of your God—I forget your sons, I also!

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

According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, I change their glory into shame.

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

The sin of My people they eat, And to their iniquity lift up their soul.

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 it has been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.

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

And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone whoring, and do not increase, For they have left off taking heed to YHWH.

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

Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take 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 at its staff asks and its rod declares to it, For a spirit of whoredoms has caused to err, And they go whoring from under 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.

On tops of the mountains they sacrifice, And on the hills they make incense, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.

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.

Therefore your daughters commit whoredom, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they sacrifice, A people that does not understand kicks.

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 [are] a harlot, O Israel, Do not let Judah become guilty, And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear, YHWH 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 turned aside as a stubborn heifer, Now YHWH feeds them as a lamb in a large place.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

Ephraim is joined to idols, leave him alone.

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

Sour [is] their drink, They have gone whoring diligently, Her protectors have thoroughly loved shame.

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

Wind has distressed her with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!”