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 hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; because there is no truth, nor kindness, nor 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.
There is false swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery: they break the bounds, and blood toucheth on 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 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 Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law 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 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.
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 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 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 Even while they were increasing in number they were sinning against me; I will let their glory be changed into shame.
The more they increased, the more did they sin against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 The sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.
The sin-offering of my people do they eat, and for their iniquity doth the soul of each one of them long.
9 And the priest will be like the people; I will give them punishment for their evil ways, and the reward of their acts.
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 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 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 Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.
Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.
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 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 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.
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 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 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 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.
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 uncontrolled, like a cow which may not be controlled; now will the Lord give them food like a lamb in a wide place.
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 false gods; let him be.
Ephraim is bound to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.
Their drinking bout will come to an end: while they are so often guilty of lewdness, their rulers love, prepare themselves but shame.
19 They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.
The wind seizeth fast on them with its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
