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 kindness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Hear the Lord’s message, Israelites, for the Lord has brought charges against the inhabitants of the land, for there is no fidelity, nor true love, nor knowledge of God in the land,
2 There is false swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery: they break the bounds, and blood toucheth on blood.
but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heaven; yea, also the fishes of the sea shall perish.
Therefore the land mourns, all its inhabitants languish, the wild animals and the birds of the skies, even the fish of the sea are dying.
4 Yet let no man strive, let no man reprove another: and thy people are contentious equally with the priest.
Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against a priest.
5 Therefore shalt thou stumble in the daytime, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.
You stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by night, and I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, so will I also reject thee, that thou shalt not be a priest to me; and as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, so will I myself also forget thy children.
My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being priest to me. Since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I also will forget your children.
7 The more they increased, the more did they sin against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonor.
8 The sin-offering of my people do they eat, and for their iniquity doth the soul of each one of them long.
They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.
9 Therefore shall the same befall both people and priest: and I will punish every one of them for his ways, and recompense every one for his doings.
Thus it comes to be, like people, like priest: I will visit upon each punishment for their ways, and their deeds I will repay them.
10 And they will eat, and shall not be satisfied; they will commit lewdness, and they shall not increase; because the Lord have they forsaken [not] keeping [his law].
They will eat and not be satisfied, they will sleep around but stay childless, because they have abandoned the Lord to give themselves to
11 Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.
prostitution. Old and new wine take away the understanding.
12 My people ask counsel of their stick of wood, and their staff shall tell them [the future]: for the spirit of lewdness hath caused them to err, and they are gone astray unfaithful to their God.
My own people ask counsel of a piece of wood! A stick gives them advice! For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, they commit adultery against their God.
13 Upon the tops of the mountains do they sacrifice, and upon the hills burn they incense, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because their shadow is good: therefore will your daughters play the harlot, and your daughter-in-law will commit adultery.
On the heights of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oaks and poplars and terebinths, for their shade is so pleasant. Therefore your daughters become cult prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 I cannot inflict punishment on your daughters when they play the harlot, nor on your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves associate with lewd women, and with harlots do they sacrifice: and so doth the people that doth not understand stumble.
I will not punish your daughters for committing prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for adultery. Your men visit prostitutes, sacrifice with cult prostitutes. So a people without understanding come to ruin!
15 Yet though thou play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah offend: and come not ye unto Gilgal, nor go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As the Lord liveth.
Though you commit adultery, Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, nor swear an oath, “As the Lord lives.”
16 For like an untamable cow is Israel disobedient: now would the Lord have fed them as a sheep in a wide pasture.
Like a willful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Ephraim is bound to idols: let him alone.
Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!
18 Their drinking bout will come to an end: while they are so often guilty of lewdness, their rulers love, prepare themselves but shame.
When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.
19 The wind seizeth fast on them with its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
