Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel! for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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.

2 Swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery! they break all bounds, and blood toucheth blood.

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

3 Therefore doth the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein doth languish, with the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also are taken away.

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.

4 Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

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

5 Therefore shalt thou stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.

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

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also 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 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.

7 The more they were increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.

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

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

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

9 And it is like people, like priest; and I will punish him for his ways, and will recompense him his doings.

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

10 And they shall eat, and not have enough, they shall commit harlotry, and shall not increase; because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

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.

11 Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the heart.

They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.

12 My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, and they have gone astray from under their God.

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.

13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and offer upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good; therefore your daughters commit harlotry, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

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.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves consort with lewd women, and they sacrifice with harlots; and the people that is without understanding is distraught.

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.

15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah become guilty; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear: 'As the LORD liveth.'

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.’

16 For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer; now shall the LORD feed them as a lamb in a large place?

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

17 Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!

18 When their carouse is over, they take to harlotry; her rulers deeply love dishonour.

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

19 The wind hath bound her up in her skirts; and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

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