Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel: for the LORD has 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 Jehovah, ye sons of Israel! For Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; For there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood.

Perjury, and falsehood, and murder, And theft, and adultery have broken forth, And blood reacheth to blood.

3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwells therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yes, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Therefore shall the land mourn, And every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, Together with the beasts of the forest, and the birds of heaven; Yea, even the fishes of the sea shall perish.

4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for your people are as they that strive with the priest.

Yet let no man rebuke, and let no man reprove; For thy people are like those that contend with the priest,

5 Therefore shall you fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.

Therefore shalt thou Fall by day, And the prophet shall fall with thee by night, And I will destroy thy mother.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

My people is destroyed for lack of knowledge; Since thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, so that thou shalt no more be my priest; Since 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 change their glory into shame.

As they have become great, so have they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.

8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

They feed upon the sins of my people, And incline their hearts to their iniquity.

9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; I will punish them for their ways, And requite them for their doings.

10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit prostitution, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

They shall eat and shall not be satisfied; They shall commit fornication, and shall not increase, For they have left off giving heed to Jehovah.

11 Prostitution and wine and new wine take away the heart.

Fornication and wine and new wine take away the understanding;

12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declares to them: for the spirit of prostitutions has caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

My people ask counsel of their stocks, And their staff revealeth to them. For the spirit of fornication causeth them to err; Yea, they commit fornication, forsaking their God.

13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit prostitution, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice, And on the hills they burn incense, Under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters commit fornication, And your daughters-in-law commit adultery;

14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that does not understand shall fall.

I will not punish your daughters, when they commit fornication, Nor your daughters-in-law, when they commit adultery; For ye yourselves go aside with harlots, And sacrifice with prostitutes; Therefore the people that hath not understanding shall fall.

15 Though you, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not you to Gilgal, neither go you up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD lives.

Though thou play the harlot, O Israel, Yet let not Judah offend! Come ye not to Gilgal, Neither go ye up to Bethaven. And swear ye not, saying, As Jehovah liveth!

16 For Israel slides back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

For like a refractory heifer is Israel become refractory, Therefore will Jehovah feed them, like a lamb in a wide place.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone!

18 Their drink is sour: they have committed prostitution continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give you.

When their carousal is over, They give themselves up to lasciviousness; Their rulers love shame.

19 The wind has bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

The wind hath bound them up with its wings, And they shall be brought to shame on account of their sacrifices.