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 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 Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, — they break out; and blood toucheth blood.
but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.
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 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 Yet let no man strive, and let no man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against 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 stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by night, and I will destroy your 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 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 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonor.
8 They eat the sin of my people, and their soul longeth for their iniquity.
They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.
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;
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 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 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 new wine take away the heart.
prostitution. Old 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 is refractory as an untractable heifer; now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a wide [pasture].
Like a willful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 — Ephraim is joined to idols: leave him alone.
Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!
18 Their drink is sour; they give themselves up to whoredom; her great men passionately love [their] shame.
When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.
19 The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
