Hosea 4

1 “Hear a word of YHWH, sons of Israel, For a strife [is] to YHWH with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God in the land;

Give ear to the word of the Lord, O children of Israel; for the Lord has a cause against the people of this land, because there is no good faith in it, and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land.

2 Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery—have increased, And blood has touched against blood.

There is cursing and broken faith, violent death and attacks on property, men are untrue in married life, houses are broken into, and there is blood touching blood.

3 Therefore the land mourns, And every dweller is weak in it, With the beast of the field, And with the bird of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea—they are removed.

Because of this the land will be dry, and everyone living in it will be wasted away, with the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven; even the fishes of the sea will be taken away.

4 Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And your people [are] as those striving with a priest.

Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law with a priest.

5 And you have stumbled in the day, And a prophet has also stumbled with you in the night, And I have cut off your mother.

You will not be able to keep on your feet by day, and by night the prophet will be falling down with you, and I will give your mother to destruction.

6 My people have been cut off for lack of knowledge, Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priest to Me, And you forget the Law of your God—I forget your sons, I also!

Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge; because you have given up knowledge, I will give you up, so that you will be no priest to me, because you have not kept in mind the law of your God, I will not keep your children in my memory.

7 According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, I change their glory into shame.

Even while they were increasing in number they were sinning against me; I will let their glory be changed into shame.

8 The sin of My people they eat, And to their iniquity lift up their soul.

The sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.

9 And it has been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.

And the priest will be like the people; I will give them punishment for their evil ways, and the reward of their acts.

10 And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone whoring, and do not increase, For they have left off taking heed to YHWH.

They will have food, but they will not be full; they will be false to me, but they will not be increased, because they no longer give thought to the Lord.

11 Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,

Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.

12 My people at its staff asks and its rod declares to it, For a spirit of whoredoms has caused to err, And they go whoring from under their God.

My people get knowledge from their tree, and their rod gives them news; for a false spirit is the cause of their wandering, and they have been false to their God.

13 On tops of the mountains they sacrifice, And on the hills they make incense, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.

They make offerings on the tops of mountains, burning perfumes in high places, under trees of every sort, because their shade is good: and so your daughters are given up to loose ways and your brides are false to their husbands.

14 Therefore your daughters commit whoredom, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they sacrifice, A people that does not understand kicks.

I will not give punishment to your daughters or your brides for their evil behaviour; for they make themselves separate with loose women, and make offerings with those who are used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods: the people who have no wisdom will be sent away.

15 Though you [are] a harlot, O Israel, Do not let Judah become guilty, And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear, YHWH lives.

Do not you, O Israel, come into error; do not you, O Judah, come to Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, or take an oath, By the living Lord.

16 For Israel has turned aside as a stubborn heifer, Now YHWH feeds them as a lamb in a large place.

For Israel is uncontrolled, like a cow which may not be controlled; now will the Lord give them food like a lamb in a wide place.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols, leave him alone.

Ephraim is joined to false gods; let him be.

18 Sour [is] their drink, They have gone whoring diligently, Her protectors have thoroughly loved shame.

Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.

19 Wind has distressed her with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!”

They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.