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 Yahweh, you people of Israel. Yahweh has a lawsuit against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truthfulness or covenantal faithfulness, 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, lying, killing, stealing and adultery. The people have broken all bounds, and bloodshed comes after bloodshed.
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.
So the land is drying up, and everyone living in it is wasting away; the beasts in the fields and the birds in the sky, even the fish in the sea, are being taken away.
4 Yet let no man strive, and let no man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
But do not allow anyone to bring a lawsuit; do not let anyone accuse anyone else. For it is you, the priests, whom I am accusing.
5 And thou shalt stumble by day; and the prophet also shall stumble with thee by night: and I will destroy thy mother.
You priests will stumble during the day; the prophets will also stumble 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 because of the lack of knowledge. Because you priests have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as priests to me. Because you have forgotten my law, although I am 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 the priests multiplied, the more they sinned against me. They exchanged their honor for shame.
8 They eat the sin of my people, and their soul longeth for their iniquity.
They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for more of their wickedness.
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;
It will be the same for the people as for the priests: I will punish them all for their practices; I will repay them for their deeds.
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 but not have enough; they will commit prostitution but not increase, because they have gone far away from Yahweh.
11 Fornication, and wine, and new wine take away the heart.
They love sexual promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which have taken away their 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 consult their wooden idols, and their walking sticks give them prophecies. For a mind of promiscuity has misled them, and they have acted as prostitutes instead of being faithful 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 sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oaks, poplars and terebinths, because the shade is good. So your daughters commit sexual immorality, 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 choose to commit sexual immorality, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men also give themselves to the prostitutes, and they offer sacrifices so they can commit immoral acts with sacred prostitutes. So this people who does not understand will be thrown down.
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, Israel, have committed adultery, may Judah not become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, you people; do not go up to Beth Aven, and do not swear, saying, “As Yahweh lives.”
16 For Israel is refractory as an untractable heifer; now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a wide [pasture].
For Israel has behaved stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. How can Yahweh bring them to pasture like lambs in a meadow?
17 — Ephraim is joined to idols: leave him alone.
Ephraim united himself with idols; leave him alone.
18 Their drink is sour; they give themselves up to whoredom; her great men passionately love [their] shame.
Even when their strong drink is gone, they continue to commit adultery; her rulers dearly love their shame.
19 The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
The wind will wrap her up in its wings; and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
