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.

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye sons of Israel! For Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; For there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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

Perjury, and falsehood, and murder, And theft, and adultery have broken forth, And blood reacheth to 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.

Therefore shall the land mourn, And every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, Together with the beasts of the forest, and the birds of heaven; Yea, even the fishes of the sea shall perish.

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

Yet let no man rebuke, and let no man reprove; For thy people are like those that contend with the priest,

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

Therefore shalt thou Fall by day, And the prophet shall fall with thee by night, And I will destroy thy mother.

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.

My people is destroyed for lack of knowledge; Since thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, so that thou shalt no more be my priest; Since thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

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

As they have become great, so have they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.

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

They feed upon the sins of my people, And incline their hearts to their iniquity.

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 it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; I will punish them for their ways, And requite them for their doings.

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 shall eat and shall not be satisfied; They shall commit fornication, and shall not increase, For they have left off giving heed to Jehovah.

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

Fornication and wine and new wine take away the understanding;

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 ask counsel of their stocks, And their staff revealeth to them. For the spirit of fornication causeth them to err; Yea, they commit fornication, forsaking 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.

On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice, And on the hills they burn incense, Under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters commit fornication, And your daughters-in-law commit adultery;

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 punish your daughters, when they commit fornication, Nor your daughters-in-law, when they commit adultery; For ye yourselves go aside with harlots, And sacrifice with prostitutes; Therefore the people that hath not understanding shall fall.

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!

Though thou play the harlot, O Israel, Yet let not Judah offend! Come ye not to Gilgal, Neither go ye up to Bethaven. And swear ye not, saying, As Jehovah liveth!

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

For like a refractory heifer is Israel become refractory, Therefore will Jehovah feed them, like a lamb in a wide place.

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

Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone!

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

When their carousal is over, They give themselves up to lasciviousness; Their rulers love shame.

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

The wind hath bound them up with its wings, And they shall be brought to shame on account of their sacrifices.