Hosea 4
1 Heare the worde of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the lande, because there is no trueth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the lande.
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.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring they breake out, and blood toucheth blood.
Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood hath touched blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourne, and euery one that dwelleth therein, shall be cut off, with the beasts of the fielde, and with the foules of the heauen, and also the fishes of the sea shall be taken away.
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.
4 Yet let none rebuke, nor reproue another: for thy people are as they that rebuke the Priest.
But yet let not any man judge: and let not a man be rebuked: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest.
5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the Prophet shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
And thou shalt fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with thee: in the night I have made thy mother to be silent.
6 My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge: because thou hast refused knowledge, I will also refuse thee, that thou shalt be no Priest to me: and seeing thou hast forgotten the Lawe of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
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.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I chaunge their glorie into shame.
According to the multitude of them so have they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
8 They eate vp the sinnes of my people, and lift vp their mindes in their iniquitie.
They shall eat the sins of my people, and shall lift up their souls to their iniquity.
9 And there shalbe like people, like Priest: for I wil visite their wayes vpon them, and reward them their deedes.
And there shall be like people like priest: and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them their devices.
10 For they shall eate, and not haue ynough: they shall commit adulterie, and shall not increase, because they haue left off to take heede to ye Lord.
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.
11 Whoredome, and wine, and newe wine take away their heart.
Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the understanding.
12 My people aske counsell at their stockes, and their staffe teacheth them: for the spirite of fornications hath caused them to erre, and they haue gone a whoring from vnder their God.
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.
13 They sacrifice vpon the toppes of ye mountaines, and burne incense vpon the hilles vnder the okes, and the poplar tree, and the elme, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall be harlots, and your spouses shall be whores.
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.
14 I will not visite your daughters when they are harlots: nor your spouses when they are whores: for they themselues are separated with harlots, and sacrifice with whores: therefore the people that doeth not vnderstand, shall fall.
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.
15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Iudah sinne: come not ye vnto Gilgal, neither goe ye vp to Beth-auen, nor sweare, The Lord liueth.
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.
16 For Israel is rebellious as an vnruly heyfer. Nowe the Lord will feede them as a lambe in a large place.
For Israel hath gone astray like a wanton heifer: now will the Lord feed them, as a lamb in a spacious place.
17 Ephraim is ioyned to idoles: let him alone.
Ephraim is a partaker with idols, let him alone.
18 Their drunkennes stinketh: they haue committed whoredome: their rulers loue to say with shame, Bring ye.
Their banquet is separated, they have gone astray by fornication: they that should have protected them have loved to bring shame upon them.
19 The winde hath bounde them vp in her wings, and they shalbe ashamed of their sacrifices.
The wind hath bound them up in its wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices.
