Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord shall enter into judgment with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land.

Hear the word of Yahweh, ye sons of Israel, —that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, nor knowledge of God, in the land:

2 Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood hath touched blood.

Cursing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend.

3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air: yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be gathered together.

For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

4 But yet let not any man judge: and let not a man be rebuked: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest.

Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, —since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:

5 And thou shalt fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with thee: in the night I have made thy mother to be silent.

So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night, —and I should destroy thine own mother.

6 My people have been silent, because they had no knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me: and thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

My people, are destroyed, for lack of knowledge, —Because, thou, hast rejected knowledge, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also, will forget thy children.

7 According to the multitude of them so have they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.

As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, —My glory—for what was contemptible, did they exchange.

8 They shall eat the sins of my people, and shall lift up their souls to their iniquity.

The sin of my people, they do eat, —and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.

9 And there shall be like people like priest: and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them their devices.

So doth it come to be—like people, like priest, —therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him;

10 And they shall eat and shall not be filled: they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not observing his law.

And they shall eat, and not be satisfied, they have encouraged unchastity, yet have not been making increase, —for unto, Yahweh, have they left off giving heed: —

11 Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the understanding.

Unchastity, and wine, and new wine, take away the heart.

12 My people have consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God.

My people, of their Wood, do ask, —Let, their Staff, then tell them, —for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under their God.

13 They offered sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burnt incense upon the hills: under the oak, and the poplar, and the turpentine tree, because the shadow thereof was good: therefore shall your daughters commit fornication, and your spouses shall be adulteresses.

On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, commit adultery.

14 I will not visit upon your daughters when they shell commit fornication, and upon your spouses when they shall commit adultery: because themselves conversed with harlots, and offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and the people that doth not understand shall be beaten.

I do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice, —and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined.

15 If thou play the harlot, O Israel, at least let not Juda offend: and go ye not into Galgal, and come not up into Bethaven, and do not swear: The Lord liveth.

Though unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and [then] swear, By the life of Yahweh!

16 For Israel hath gone astray like a wanton heifer: now will the Lord feed them, as a lamb in a spacious place.

For, as a heifer that is stubborn, hath Israel, been stubborn, —Now, can Yahweh, turn them out to pasture, like a young ram in a wide place?

17 Ephraim is a partaker with idols, let him alone.

Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.

18 Their banquet is separated, they have gone astray by fornication: they that should have protected them have loved to bring shame upon them.

Their drinking-bout, having passed, —they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.

19 The wind hath bound them up in its wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices.

The wind hath bound her up in its wings, —that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.