Hosea 4
1 Give ear to the word of the Lord, O children of Israel; for the Lord has a cause against the people of this land, because there is no good faith in it, and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land.
Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord shall enter into judgment with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land.
2 There is cursing and broken faith, violent death and attacks on property, men are untrue in married life, houses are broken into, and there is blood touching blood.
Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood hath touched blood.
3 Because of this the land will be dry, and everyone living in it will be wasted away, with the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven; even the fishes of the sea will be taken away.
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air: yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be gathered together.
4 Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law with a priest.
But yet let not any man judge: and let not a man be rebuked: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest.
5 You will not be able to keep on your feet by day, and by night the prophet will be falling down with you, and I will give your mother to destruction.
And thou shalt fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with thee: in the night I have made thy mother to be silent.
6 Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge; because you have given up knowledge, I will give you up, so that you will be no priest to me, because you have not kept in mind the law of your God, I will not keep your children in my memory.
My people have been silent, because they had no knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me: and thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.
7 Even while they were increasing in number they were sinning against me; I will let their glory be changed into shame.
According to the multitude of them so have they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
8 The sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.
They shall eat the sins of my people, and shall lift up their souls to their iniquity.
9 And the priest will be like the people; I will give them punishment for their evil ways, and the reward of their acts.
And there shall be like people like priest: and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them their devices.
10 They will have food, but they will not be full; they will be false to me, but they will not be increased, because they no longer give thought to the Lord.
And they shall eat and shall not be filled: they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not observing his law.
11 Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.
Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the understanding.
12 My people get knowledge from their tree, and their rod gives them news; for a false spirit is the cause of their wandering, and they have been false to their God.
My people have consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God.
13 They make offerings on the tops of mountains, burning perfumes in high places, under trees of every sort, because their shade is good: and so your daughters are given up to loose ways and your brides are false to their husbands.
They offered sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burnt incense upon the hills: under the oak, and the poplar, and the turpentine tree, because the shadow thereof was good: therefore shall your daughters commit fornication, and your spouses shall be adulteresses.
14 I will not give punishment to your daughters or your brides for their evil behaviour; for they make themselves separate with loose women, and make offerings with those who are used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods: the people who have no wisdom will be sent away.
I will not visit upon your daughters when they shell commit fornication, and upon your spouses when they shall commit adultery: because themselves conversed with harlots, and offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and the people that doth not understand shall be beaten.
15 Do not you, O Israel, come into error; do not you, O Judah, come to Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, or take an oath, By the living Lord.
If thou play the harlot, O Israel, at least let not Juda offend: and go ye not into Galgal, and come not up into Bethaven, and do not swear: The Lord liveth.
16 For Israel is uncontrolled, like a cow which may not be controlled; now will the Lord give them food like a lamb in a wide place.
For Israel hath gone astray like a wanton heifer: now will the Lord feed them, as a lamb in a spacious place.
17 Ephraim is joined to false gods; let him be.
Ephraim is a partaker with idols, let him alone.
18 Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.
Their banquet is separated, they have gone astray by fornication: they that should have protected them have loved to bring shame upon them.
19 They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.
The wind hath bound them up in its wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices.
