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 Yahweh, ye sons of Israel, —that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, 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.
Cursing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend.
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.
For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.
4 Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law with a priest.
Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, —since, thy people, are as they who contend against a 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.
So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night, —and I should destroy thine own 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, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because 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.
As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, —My glory—for what was contemptible, did they exchange.
8 The sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.
The sin of my people, they do eat, —and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.
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 doth it come to be—like people, like priest, —therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him;
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 not be satisfied, they have encouraged unchastity, yet have not been making increase, —for unto, Yahweh, have they left off giving heed: —
11 Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.
Unchastity, 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, of their Wood, do ask, —Let, their Staff, then tell them, —for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under 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.
On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, 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 do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice, —and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined.
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 unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and [then] swear, By the life of Yahweh!
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, as a heifer that is stubborn, hath Israel, been stubborn, —Now, can Yahweh, turn them out to pasture, like a young ram in a wide place?
17 Ephraim is joined to false gods; let him be.
Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.
18 Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.
Their drinking-bout, having passed, —they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.
19 They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.
The wind hath bound her up in its wings, —that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.
