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 Jehovah, ye sons of Israel! For Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; For there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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

Perjury, and falsehood, and murder, And theft, and adultery have broken forth, And blood reacheth to 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, Together with the beasts of the forest, and the birds of heaven; Yea, even 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 rebuke, and let no man reprove; For thy people are like those that contend 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 Fall by day, And the prophet shall fall with thee by 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 is destroyed for lack of knowledge; Since thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, so that thou shalt no more be my priest; Since thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

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

As they have become great, so have they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.

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

They feed upon the sins of my people, And incline their hearts to 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 it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; I will punish them for their ways, And requite them for their doings.

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

They shall eat and shall not be satisfied; They shall commit fornication, and shall not increase, For they have left off giving heed to Jehovah.

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

Fornication and wine and new wine take away the understanding;

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 stocks, And their staff revealeth to them. For the spirit of fornication causeth them to err; Yea, they commit fornication, forsaking 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 the tops of the mountains they sacrifice, And on the hills they burn incense, Under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters commit fornication, 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 commit fornication, Nor your daughters-in-law, when they commit adultery; For ye yourselves go aside with harlots, And sacrifice with prostitutes; Therefore the people that hath not understanding shall fall.

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 thou play the harlot, O Israel, Yet let not Judah offend! Come ye not to Gilgal, Neither go ye up to Bethaven. And swear ye not, saying, As Jehovah 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 a refractory heifer is Israel become refractory, Therefore will Jehovah feed them, like a lamb in a wide place.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone!

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

When their carousal is over, They give themselves up to lasciviousness; Their rulers love shame.

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

The wind hath bound them up with its wings, And they shall be brought to shame on account of their sacrifices.