Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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.

2 Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, — they break out; and blood toucheth blood.

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.

3 For this shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

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.

4 Yet let no man strive, and let no man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law with a priest.

5 And thou shalt stumble by day; and the prophet also shall stumble with thee by night: and I will destroy thy mother.

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.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; for thou hast rejected knowledge, and I will reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

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.

7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.

Even while they were increasing in number they were sinning against me; I will let their glory be changed into shame.

8 They eat the sin of my people, and their soul longeth for their iniquity.

The sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.

9 And it shall be as the people so the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and recompense to them their doings;

And the priest will be like the people; I will give them punishment for their evil ways, and the reward of their acts.

10 and they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: for they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

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.

11 Fornication, and wine, and new wine take away the heart.

Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.

12 My people ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms causeth [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God:

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.

13 they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because the shade thereof is good; therefore your daughters play the harlot and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

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.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your daughters-in-law for their committing adultery; for they themselves go aside with harlots, and they sacrifice with prostitutes: and the people that doth not understand shall come to ruin.

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.

15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah trespass; and come ye not unto Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear [As] Jehovah liveth!

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.

16 For Israel is refractory as an untractable heifer; now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a wide [pasture].

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.

17 — Ephraim is joined to idols: leave him alone.

Ephraim is joined to false gods; let him be.

18 Their drink is sour; they give themselves up to whoredom; her great men passionately love [their] shame.

Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.

19 The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.