< 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.
Audite verbum Domini, filii Israël, quia judicium Domino cum habitatoribus terræ: non est enim veritas, et non est misericordia, et non est scientia Dei in terra.
2 Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Maledictum, et mendacium, et homicidium, et furtum, et adulterium inundaverunt, et sanguis sanguinem tetigit.
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.
Propter hoc lugebit terra, et infirmabitur omnis qui habitat in ea, in bestia agri, et in volucre cæli; sed et pisces maris congregabuntur.
4 But no one should accuse or blame anyone else. My quarrel is with you the priests—you are the ones responsible.
Verumtamen unusquisque non judicet, et non arguatur vir: populus enim tuus sicut hi qui contradicunt sacerdoti.
5 Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.
Et corrues hodie, et corruet etiam propheta tecum. Nocte tacere feci matrem tuam.
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.
Conticuit populus meus, eo quod non habuerit scientiam: quia tu scientiam repulisti, repellam te, ne sacerdotio fungaris mihi; et oblita es legis Dei tui, obliviscar filiorum tuorum et ego.
7 The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.
Secundum multitudinem eorum sic peccaverunt mihi: gloriam eorum in ignominiam commutabo.
8 They feed on the sin of my people, greedy for their iniquity.
Peccata populi mei comedent, et ad iniquitatem eorum sublevabunt animas eorum.
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.
Et erit sicut populus, sic sacerdos; et visitabo super eum vias ejus, et cogitationes ejus reddam ei.
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.
Et comedent, et non saturabuntur; fornicati sunt, et non cessaverunt: quoniam Dominum dereliquerunt in non custodiendo.
11 They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.
Fornicatio, et vinum, et ebrietas auferunt cor.
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.
Populus meus in ligno suo interrogavit, et baculus ejus annuntiavit ei; spiritus enim fornicationum decepit eos, et fornicati sunt a Deo suo.
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.
Super capita montium sacrificabant, et super colles ascendebant thymiama; subtus quercum, et populum, et terebinthum, quia bona erat umbra ejus; ideo fornicabuntur filiæ vestræ, et sponsæ vestræ adulteræ erunt.
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.
Non visitabo super filias vestras cum fuerint fornicatæ, et super sponsas vestras cum adulteraverint, quoniam ipsi cum meretricibus conversabantur, et cum effeminatis sacrificabant; et populus non intelligens vapulabit.
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.’
Si fornicaris tu, Israël, non delinquat saltem Juda; et nolite ingredi in Galgala, et ne ascenderitis in Bethaven, neque juraveritis: Vivit Dominus!
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?
Quoniam sicut vacca lasciviens declinavit Israël; nunc pascet eos Dominus, quasi agnum in latitudine.
17 Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!
Particeps idolorum Ephraim: dimitte eum.
18 Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.
Separatum est convivium eorum; fornicatione fornicati sunt: dilexerunt afferre ignominiam protectores ejus.
19 A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.
Ligavit eum spiritus in alis suis, et confundentur a sacrificiis suis.

< Hosea 4 >