Hosea 4
1 Listen to the word of the Lord, sons of Israel, for the Lord is judge of the inhabitants of the land. Yet there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God, in the land.
Hear the Lord’s message, Israelites, for the Lord has brought charges against the inhabitants of the land, for there is no fidelity, nor true love, nor knowledge of God in the land,
2 Slander, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and bloodshed has brought more bloodshed.
but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.
3 Because of this, the land will mourn, and all who dwell in it will languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. And the fishes of the sea also will be gathered together.
Therefore the land mourns, all its inhabitants languish, the wild animals and the birds of the skies, even the fish of the sea are dying.
4 So, truly, let each and every one not judge, and let no man be accused, for your people are just like those who speak against the priesthood.
Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against a priest.
5 And you will be ruined on this day, and now the prophet will be ruined with you. In the night, I have made your mother to be silent.
You stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by night, and I will destroy your mother.
6 My people have become silent because they had no knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I will drive you away; you do not perform the duties of the priesthood for me, and you have forgotten the law of your God, and so I will forget your sons.
My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being priest to me. Since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I also will forget your children.
7 According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace.
The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonour.
8 They will devour the sins of my people, and they will lift up their souls towards their iniquity.
They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.
9 And, just as it is with the people, so will it be with the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them for their intentions.
Thus it comes to be, like people, like priest: I will visit upon each punishment for their ways, and their deeds I will repay them.
10 And they will eat and not be satisfied. They have been committing fornication, and they did not cease. Since they have abandoned the Lord, they will not be safeguarded.
They will eat and not be satisfied, they will sleep around but stay childless, because they have abandoned the Lord to give themselves to
11 Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, have taken away their heart.
prostitution. Old and new wine take away the understanding.
12 My people have inquired of their stave, and their staff has announced to them. For the spirit of fornication has deceived them, and they have been fornicating before their God.
My own people ask counsel of a piece of wood! A stick gives them advice! For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, they commit adultery against their God.
13 They have offered sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burnt incense on the hills, under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth tree, because its shadow was good; therefore, your daughters will commit fornication and your spouses will be adulteresses.
On the heights of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oaks and poplars and terebinths, for their shade is so pleasant. Therefore your daughters become cult prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 I will not send afflictions on your daughters, when they will commit fornication, nor on your spouses, when they will commit adultery, because you yourselves have associated with harlots and have offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and because the people who do not understand will be defeated.
I will not punish your daughters for committing prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for adultery. Your men visit prostitutes, sacrifice with cult prostitutes. So a people without understanding come to ruin!
15 If you commit fornication, Israel, at least let Judah not commit offenses; and do not be willing to enter into Gilgal, nor to ascend to Bethaven, and neither should you swear, “As the Lord lives.”
Though you commit adultery, Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, nor swear an oath, ‘As the Lord lives.’
16 For Israel has gone astray like a wanton heifer; so now the Lord will pasture them like a young lamb in a wide expanse.
Like a wilful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away.
Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!
18 Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors.
When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.
19 The wind has fastened them to its wings, and they will be confounded because of their sacrifices.
A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
