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, 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 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.
Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
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.
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 Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law 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 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.
Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.
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 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 Even while they were increasing in number they were sinning against me; I will let their glory be changed into shame.
The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so 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 feed on the sin of my people, greedy for 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.
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 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.
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 Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.
They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 false gods; let him be.
Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!
18 Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.
Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.
19 They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.
A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.
