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;

Listen to the word of the Lord, sons of Israel, for the Lord is judge of the inhabitants of the land. Yet there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is 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.

Slander, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and bloodshed has brought more bloodshed.

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 mourn, and all who dwell in it will languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. And the fishes of the sea also will be gathered together.

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

So, truly, let each and every one not judge, and let no man be accused, for your people are just like those who speak against the priesthood.

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.

And you will be ruined on this day, and now the prophet will be ruined with you. In the night, I have made your mother to be silent.

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!

My people have become silent because they had no knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I will drive you away; you do not perform the duties of the priesthood for me, and you have forgotten the law of your God, and so I will forget your sons.

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

According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace.

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

They will devour the sins of my people, and they will lift up their souls towards their iniquity.

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, just as it is with the people, so will it be with the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them for their intentions.

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.

And they will eat and not be satisfied. They have been committing fornication, and they did not cease. Since they have abandoned the Lord, they will not be safeguarded.

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

Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, have taken away their heart.

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 have inquired of their stave, and their staff has announced to them. For the spirit of fornication has deceived them, and they have been fornicating before 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 have offered sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burnt incense on the hills, under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth tree, because its shadow was good; therefore, your daughters will commit fornication and your spouses will be adulteresses.

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 send afflictions on your daughters, when they will commit fornication, nor on your spouses, when they will commit adultery, because you yourselves have associated with harlots and have offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and because the people who do not understand will be defeated.

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.

If you commit fornication, Israel, at least let Judah not commit offenses; and do not be willing to enter into Gilgal, nor to ascend to Bethaven, and neither should you swear, “As the Lord lives.”

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

For Israel has gone astray like a wanton heifer; so now the Lord will pasture them like a young lamb in a wide expanse.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols, leave him alone.

Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away.

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

Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors.

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

The wind has fastened them to its wings, and they will be confounded because of their sacrifices.