Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has an accusation against the inhabitants of the land! “There is no faithfulness, no loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.

Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel; for the LORD has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "Indeed there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

3 As a result the land dries up, and everyone who lives there is wasting away, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea—they are all dying.

Therefore the land mourns, and all those who dwell in it will waste away, along with the animals of the field and the crawling creatures of the earth and the birds of the sky, and even the fish of the sea will be taken away.

4 But no one should accuse or blame anyone else. My quarrel is with you the priests—you are the ones responsible.

"Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a cohen.

5 Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.

You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

6 My people are dying because they don't know me. Because you have refused to know me, I refuse to accept you as my priests. You have forgotten my teachings, so I will forget your children.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no cohen to me. Because you have forgotten your God's law, I will also forget your children.

7 The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.

As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. They have exchanged their glory into shame.

8 They feed on the sin of my people, greedy for their iniquity.

They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

9 So it will be for the people like the priests: I will punish them for what they have done, repaying them for their actions.

It will be, like people, like cohen; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.

10 They will eat, but they will not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but they will not prosper because they have given up on the Lord to go and prostitute themselves to other gods.

They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to the LORD.

11 They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.

Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

12 My people consult their wooden idols and their divining rods give them answers, for a spirit of prostitution makes them go astray. Prostituting themselves, they have deserted their God.

My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

13 They offer sacrifices on the tops of mountains; they burn incense in the hills under the oak, poplar, and terebinth trees where the shade is pleasant. That's the reason why your daughters practice prostitution and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and shady terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they practice prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because you men visit whores and sacrifice with temple prostitutes. A people who lack understanding end up in disaster.

I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.

15 Though you, Israel, have become a prostitute, may Judah not offend in the same way and not enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear saying, ‘the Lord lives.’

"Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet do not let Judah offend; and do not come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, 'As the LORD lives.'

16 For Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn cow. Should the Lord then take care of them like a lamb in a wide pasture?

For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will the LORD feed them like a lamb in a meadow.

17 Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!

Ephraim, joined to idols, has placed stumbling blocks against himself.

18 Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.

Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.

19 A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.

The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.